Everything but Nothing
by ponyiowa
Summary: Hate's a strong word. But then how exactly would Dawnpaw, a FireClan cat, describe her feeling of Stormpaw of IceClan, when they first meet as kits, each out on an adventure? And now they even have to go on a journey together. "StarClan must hate me."
1. Allegiances & Chapter 1: Who Are You?

So, this is my first fanfic and I'm really excited! :D

In the summary, I list Dawnkit and Stormkit with -kit after their names, but that will be changed as they get their apprentice ones and so on. I've listed the allegiances first, and then under that, is the first chapter! (I just hate it when I read a great summary of a new fanfic and then when I click on it, the first chapter is the allegiances, and nothing else. Don't you?)

And without further ado, here you go! ;3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**

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><p><strong>Allegiances:<strong>

**FireClan**

Leader: Smokestar-smoky gray tom with white streaks of fur along his coat

Deputy: Blossompetal-brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Sagetail: orange tom with white paws

Warriors:

Cherryfur-calico she-cat

Leopardspot-dappled dark brown tom _(apprentice, Scorchpaw)_

Nightpelt-large black tom with green eyes

Mousefoot-brown tabby she-cat _(apprentice, Graypaw)_

Rainfall-gray tabby tom with green eyes

Rockfeather-stocky brown tom

Flowerstep-light brown she-cat _(apprentice, Applepaw)_

Hazeltail-mottled brown tom

Sparkheart-pretty tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat _(apprentice, Rosepaw)_

Mintpelt-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Oakstorm-striped brown tom

Ashpool-gray tom with black flecks on coat with blue eyes _(apprentice, Burnpaw)_

Honeyleaf-ginger she-cat with white paws

Apprentices:

Scorchpaw-dark gray tabby tom with black flecks on coat _(mentor, Leopardspot)_

Graypaw-light gray tom with green eyes _(mentor, Mousefoot)_

Applepaw-small brown she-cat with amber eyes _(mentor, Flowerstep)_

Rosepaw-striped brown she-cat with amber eyes _(mentor, Sparkheart)_

Burnpaw-ginger tom with white paws _(mentor, Ashpool)_

Queens:

Robinfeather-reddish tabby she-cat (expecting Ashpool's kits)

Sootcloud-black she-cat with gray highlights along coat (mother to Leopardspot's kits, Emberkit, a dark brown tom, and Willowkit, a brown-and-black she-cat)

Flamelight-dark ginger she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Rainfall's kits, Dawnkit, a golden she-cat with green eyes, and Mistkit, a light gray she-cat with blue eyes)

Elders:

Tanglepelt-long haired gray tom with a nick in one ear

Daisytail-fluffy white she-cat

**IceClan**

Leader: Snowstar-large, broad shouldered white tom with blue eyes

Deputy: Coldbreeze-dark grey tom

Medicine cat: Birdwing-fluffy brown she-cat _(apprentice, Darkpaw)_

Warriors:

Sharpstrike-striped dark brown tom _(apprentice, Blizzardpaw)_

Twistfang-orange tabby she-cat with sharp features

Hailpelt-white tom with black paws

Whiteheart-pure white she-cat

Maplestripe-striped orange tom with amber eyes

Cricketsong-tortoiseshell she-cat

Blackfrost-handsome black tom with ice-blue eyes

Cloudcoat-white she-cat with blue eyes _(apprentice, Dustpaw)_

Foxfoot-reddish tom

Brackenpelt-ginger tom _(apprentice, Bouncepaw)_

Bluetail-blue-grey she-cat with amber eyes

Freezepool-dark grey tabby she-cat

Patchfur-brown, white, and black patched tom

Apprentices:

Blizzardpaw-white she-cat _(mentor, Sharpstrike)_

Darkpaw-striped dark brown tom with blue eyes _(mentor, Birdwing)_

Dustpaw-ginger tom with amber eyes _(mentor, Cloudcoat)_

Bouncepaw-grey she-cat _(mentor, Brackenpelt)_

Queens:

Leaftail-pretty brown tabby she-cat with green eyes (mother of Blackfrost's kits: Stormkit, a dark stormy gray kit with ice-blue eyes, Frostykit, a black she-cat with green eyes, and Sorrelkit, a brown tabby she-cat with green eyes)

Kestrelfeather-fluffy dark brown she-cat (mother of Foxfoot's kits: Dapplekit, a dappled brown she-cat with amber eyes, and Owlkit, a dark orange tom with amber eyes)

Brightmist-gray she-cat (expecting Sharpstrike's kits)

Elders:

Owlclaw-dappled white-and-gray she-cat

Cedarfur-brown tabby tom with white tipped-tail

Boulderheart-black tom with amber eyes

**WaterClan**

Leader: Streamstar-white she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Lilytail-dark brown she-cat

Medicine cat: Redpelt-reddish tom with white paws

Warriors:

Heatherwhisker-light brown she-cat

Marshfoot-striped gray tom _(apprentice, Splashpaw)_

Ebonypelt-pitch black she-cat with green eyes

Petalnose-brown tabby she-cat _(apprentice, Lakepaw)_

Sedgefur-dark brown tom with black tipped ears

Pebblestep-dark gray tom

Minnowclaw-brown tabby she-cat with white paws

Branchlight-brown-and-white she-cat

Gorsestripe-ginger tom with amber eyes

Tawnyspot-black, brown, and white she-cat

Ripplepool-mottled brown-and-gray tom

Fernsong-cream colored she-cat with blue eyes _(apprentice, Thistlepaw)_

Brooktail-dark gray tabby she-cat with one black paw _(apprentice, Frogpaw)_

Pikeheart-black tom with amber eyes

Apprentices:

Splashpaw-dark brown tabby tom with white patches _(mentor, Marshfoot)_

Lakepaw-pretty white she-cat with green eyes _(mentor, Petalnose)_

Thistlepaw-striped ginger tom with amber eyes _(mentor, Fernsong)_

Frogpaw-brown tom with black paws _(mentor, Brooktail)_

Queens:

Brambleberry-light gray she-cat (expecting Pebblestep's kits)

Morningfeather-white-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Gorsestripe's kits: Rowankit, a ginger-and-white tom with amber eyes, and Flowerkit, a light brown she-cat with blue eyes)

Elders:

Creekflow-large brown tom with stiff joints

Duskfeather-brown tabby tom with green eyes

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><p><span>Chapter 1: Who Are You?<span>

She was completely and totally bored.

Dawnkit batted a ball of moss from one paw to the other. With one final _smack_, the ball fell apart. Dawnkit sighed and looked around the nursery. It was a hot and languid day. Everyone—her mother, Flamelight, her sister, Mistkit, Sootcloud and her kit, and Robinfeather with her belly swelled up to twice its normal size—was asleep. Except for her. Dawnkit scampered over to Flamelight's dark ginger side and poked it with her nose. She didn't respond. Dawnkit poked her mother again, harder. Flamelight cracked open one sleepy eyelid. "What?"

"I'm bored."

"Then go to sleep, Dawnkit." And with that Flamelight closed both eyes, curled into a tighter ball, and wrapped her tail around her face. Dawnkit knew that meant she was dismissed. Now what? She knew that though going outside wasn't frowned upon, it still wasn't a good thing for kits to be outside the nursery until they were older—she was still only 4 moons old. Besides, she couldn't become an apprentice until she was 6 moons old and with everyone asleep, what good would going outside do? Even so, she poked her muzzle outside, just to take a peek.

The apprentices were all somewhere out in FireClan's territory, training with their mentors. A few cats stretched out, taking bites of fresh prey, sharing tongues, or sleeping, but most seemed to be inside. Hmm. That could possibly work to her advantage. She snuck a look back at the rest of the cats and kits inside the nursery. They were all asleep. Dawnkit quickly made up her mind. She would go outside, and before she lost the courage to!

Dawnkit slowly put one small golden paw outside the nursery opening. Nothing happened. Then another paw. Nothing happened. And then all of her was outside. _Nothing _happened. Dawnkit paused for a moment to observe her silent victory, but her sense of curiosity overpowered her. She wasn't interested in exploring the camp—she would get to do that later when she was older. But how many times would she get to actually have freedom to explore, when almost everyone else was away or asleep? Dawnkit licked one paw and drew it over her face, surveying the camp and its possible escape routes.

Ooh! There was a tunnel. Flamelight sometimes went there to "make dirt". There could possibly be an opening there. Quietly, Dawnkit padded the short route over to the dirt tunnel. No one seemed to notice a small golden fluffy kit sneaking around camp, which was good. Now she was inside the tunnel. It was big, slightly dark, and…smelled not very good. Dawnkit drew one breath it and coughed. "Yuck."

But this could possibly be a tunnel that would lead to outside, to freedom and no boredom! She certainly hoped so, because she wasn't sure if going in this tunnel was worth it. However, as she continued down the tunnel, paws set down lightly, with shallow breathing and small tail waving like a golden beacon, there was a small pinprick of light. It got bigger as Dawnkit approached. Could it be…? Yes, it was! Like she was stalking a mouse (which she had seen the apprentices practicing), Dawnkit carefully crept toward the light. _This was her freedom! _There was a medium sized opening at the end of the tunnel. Dawnkit softly jumped through, and landed on the other side.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her. "Whoa," she breathed. _This is so cool! _There were leafy trees high above, with wind rustling through them. Birds chirped from their perches on those high, leafy trees and squirrels ran up and down them. Dawnkit put her head forward and began to explore. _She was free! _She explored up small creeks, stalked mice (but never was able to catch them), and pranced after leaves.

Finally Dawnkit collapsed, happily, onto the ground. But she was thirsty after all the exploring. So, after resting for a few heartbeats, she was able to locate a small stream. She dipped her head to drink, gladly welcoming the cool taste that refreshed her mouth. After her thirst was sated, she decided to forego the whole thing and just jump in.

And that's exactly what Dawnkit did. The stream was shallow enough for her to safely step in. Dawnkit twirled over and over in the water, and splashed with her paws until small whirlpools of froth formed. When she got tired of playing, she swam easily enough to the other side, since the stream wasn't very wide either. Dawnkit hauled herself up onto a flat rock, and then shook herself all over. _Ah, that feels great! _The water droplets sprayed into the air.

"Hey!" an angry voice yowled.

Dawnkit abruptly stopped. Standing just slightly above her on another rock, was a dark gray kit with ice blue eyes that, right now, were currently glaring into her. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Who. Are. You?"

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><p>So, how was it? I know that there isn't much romance, nor exciting things happening in the first chapter, but remember Stormkit and Dawnkit are just, well, kits! So they probably aren't going to be lovey-dovey anytime soon, plus with Stormkit's accusing opening line of "Who. Are. You?" The chapter is also slightly short, but I promise that the next ones will be much longer. So, now that you've reading the first chapter, review please! It would make me feel happy. :) And now that I've finished rambling on (and condemned you to listening to my rambles as well), bye! :D<p>

~Ponyiowa


	2. Chapter 2: Arguments and Accusations

Hey guys! It has been over a weeks since I started this, because my internet unfortunately went down for the better part of last week to this week, but I got it back today! :D

Mochikins: Thank you for pointing those mistakes out to me; I have corrected them. Also thank you for being my only reviewer (so far)! :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Arguments and Accusations<span>

Stormkit glared at the golden she-kit in front of him. "And what are you doing on IceClan's territory?" he added for good measure. The golden she-kit shook herself out again (pointedly ignoring his annoyed hisses), and fluffed out her fur. Then she leisurely sat down.

"None of your business."

Stormkit bared his sharp little teeth. "Since I am an IceClan cat, and you are not, and you are on _our _territory, I think that it is part of _my _business." Actually, he had only just sneaked out of the IceClan camp to explore, not on official business to root out trespassers, but this kit intruder didn't need to know that!

"Thinks he's pretty cool, doesn't he," he heard the other kit mutter. She licked her paws and started grooming herself, completely ignoring him.

This annoyed Stormkit. _Who does she think she is? She can't just walk in on our territory! _Apparently she thought that she was _pretty_ cool, too.

"Get off our territory," he growled, trying again to get the she-kit to try to pay attention to him. The golden she-kit looked up. Annoyance showed in her eyes.

"And who's going to make me?"

Stormkit had had enough of this. "Me," he growled. And he sprang.

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><p>Dawnkit reacted immediately and rolled easily enough out of the way when she saw the tom-kit leap down at her. With a small hiss of annoyance, the dark gray kit immediately righted himself and sprang again toward her. Again, she dodged.<p>

"You can't get me," she taunted.

"Dumb intruder kit," the kit muttered as he tried to slash at Dawnkit.

"You're a kit too," Dawnkit pointed out as she moved to the side so his claw came down in empty air. He seemed about the same age as her, five moons.

"You're on my territory," the tom-kit answered, completely ignoring her remark.

"So what are you doing here, then?" Dawnkit challenged. "Kits aren't allowed out of the nursery until they're six moons old in IceClan too, right?"

The tom-kit stopped his fruitless attacks on Dawnkit for a moment and looked a bit abashed. "I was just…making sure that no intruders were in IceClan! And then I found you, so there!" He looked extremely proud.

Dawnkit scoffed. "Yeah, right. And I'm a mouse."

The gray kit looked miffed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you probably are just exploring your Clan's territory because you're bored—like me," Dawnkit explained self-importantly, yet relieved that he had stopped slashing at her, at least for a while.

But for some reason this just seemed to make him mad. "No!" the dark gray kit exploded, and sprang at a surprised Dawnkit—again.

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><p>Sunlight shone in the nursery, lighting up even the darkest hollows. One patch of sunbeam was directly on a dark ginger she-cat. This ginger she-cat, Flamelight, blinked her eyes, yawned, and then stretched, being careful not to disturb the little light gray kit next to her. Flamelight wrapped a tail around Mistkit and then looked around for Dawnkit. She wasn't beside Flamelight, or the other cats and kits in the nursery, who were still all asleep. Feeling alarmed, Flamelight quietly got up and padded her way out of the nursery. Dawnkit was nowhere in sight. Flamelight sniffed the air, but only got a slight stale scent of Dawnkit.<p>

None of the patrols were back yet, but Ashpool was teaching Burnpaw how to strike at an enemy, which was a piece of bark that Ashpool held between his jaws. Flamelight trotted over to them.

"Have you seen Dawnkit?" she questioned.

"No," said Ashpool, just as Burnpaw replied, "We just got back!"

Flamelight dipped her head for thanks and moved on to interrogate all the other cats in the clearing (several of which she had to forcefully wake up) if they had seen Dawnkit, which, no, they all hadn't. With a barely controlled anxiety Flamelight poked her head tentatively inside the leader's den. Smokestar was sitting on his haunches, talking with his deputy, Blossompetal.

Smokestar immediately noticed Flamelight's presence. "Yes, Flamelight?"

"I think Dawnkit's missing. I woke up and she wasn't there."

Smokestar got up on his feet, alarm on his face. "You've made sure she isn't in the camp?"

"I asked every cat who was there, and the only scent of her is a stale one so we can't follow that."

Blossompetal spoke up. "Either she was captured by another Clan or snuck off." Flamelight drew in a breath. Her Dawnkit, captured by another Clan! She should have been watching her more, been more cautious when Dawnkit had told her that she was bored…

Smokestar decided, "We'll make two patrols: one to see if she's out in our territory anywhere exploring, and one patrol to see if IceClan or WaterClan have captured her." He walked out of his den with Blossompetal and Flamelight following. Two patrols were just coming back with fresh-kill.

"Have you seen Dawnkit while you were out hunting?" Smokestar asked them as they deposited their prey on the fresh-kill pile. "She's gone missing."

A resounding chorus of "no's" was the reply.

"We're making two patrols then," Smokestar declared. "Honeyleaf, Leopardspot, Mintpelt, and Oakstorm, come with me to see if IceClan or WaterClan took her. Cherryfur, lead Sparkheart, Nightpelt, and Hazeltail in a patrol to track Dawnkit's scent and if you can, find her in our territory." His orders were quickly followed and soon two patrols of five and four were leaving the FireClan camp. Flamelight watched them go, her eyes worried. "This is all my fault…"

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><p>The IceClan deputy, Coldbreeze, was sunning himself on a rock when Leaftail, one of the two queens, padded up to him with her tail waving anxiously.<p>

"What is it?" he growled.

"I can't seem to find Stormkit," said Leaftail, looking a bit embarrassed for having lost her own kit.

"He's probably playing with the other kits," Coldbreeze said. He couldn't understand why she looked so worried. In his opinion, kits weren't much use unless they could fight.

"But I checked! And he isn't! I can't find anything but a stale scent of him in the camp."

"You're not a good queen if you can't even take care or find your own kit," Coldbreeze reprimanded. This silly she-cat was wasting his time! The little fluffball probably went exploring or something.

Bluetail, a she-cat who was known for being fond of poking her nose into other cats' business, trotted up. "I hear Stormkit's missing? Wow, wasn't he supposed to have been taken care of by his mother?"

Coldbreeze sighed. Now Leaftail looked embarrassed _and_ ashamed, plus he had two she-cats on his paws. Why couldn't they just leave him alone so he could enjoy his peace and quiet? However, he knew when battles were lost and when battles were won. He slowly got up and stretched.

Bluetail was already bounding off to tell every cat in the entire IceClan camp that one of their kits was missing. _Mousedung, _he muttered to himself under his breath.

"I'll go report this to Snowstar."

Leaftail tagged behind him on the way to the leader's den, her head drooping. Coldbreeze quickly explained the problem to Snowstar, who also sighed, but began organizing two patrols, one to see if Stormkit was somewhere on IceClan's territory and one to meet with the two other Clans to find out if he'd been captured. Coldbreeze and Leaftail were included in the patrol that was going to meet with FireClan and WaterClan. They set off.

The IceClan patrol that was going to confront the other Clans soon met up with the FireClan patrol that had the same objective. Coldbreeze halted behind his leader, as did all the other cats. Snowstar immediately took control, as did Smokestar. Snowstar began.

"One of our kits, Stormkit, is missing. Have you seen him?" Underneath the words was a perfectly masked message of "More importantly, have you captured him?"

Coldbreeze watched the other leader Smokestar's sharp eyes narrow. Smokestar, and everyone else, knew that he was being accused. "No. In fact, it's a coincidence, because one of our kits, Dawnkit, is also missing."

"The answer is also no," Snowstar replied smoothly. FireClan's deputy, Blossompetal, suggested, "Then…perhaps it was WaterClan?" For a moment, Smokestar and Snowstar both stood staring each other down, then Snowstar nodded. "Truce until we find the kits ?"

"Truce."

Coldbreeze knew this was an unspoken cue to continue again. So then the rest of the two patrols, who had been watching silently while their leaders conversed, silently assembled together behind Snowstar and Smokestar. With a flick of Smokestar's gray tail they started up again to WaterClan's camp.

Behind them, the sun slowly began to set.

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><p>Dawnkit's and Stormkit's absence has been noticed! And now FireClan and IceClan are going to see if WaterClan stole their kits, which they didn't, but they have yet to find <em>that<em> out. Please review! :D

~Ponyiowa


	3. Chapter 3: You're Annoying

Here is the 3rd chapter! Enjoy! :)

irishgirl432432: Thank you! :D

Mochikins: Also, thanks! I appreciate your compliments.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 3: You're Annoying<span>

Dawnkit jumped out of the way again, but this time when she landed, she made a quick turn on her hind paws that she hadn't known that she could do, and then jumped on top of the tom-kit.

"Oomph" was the sound as he was dramatically squished.

"I got you!" Dawnkit yowled, feeling extremely triumphant. She sheathed and unsheathed her claws over and over again in her excitement, digging lines in the kit's fur. Though her claws were still small, they were sharp.

"Ouch! Stop that, it hurts."

Dawnkit stopped. "Sorry." She hadn't meant to hurt him; just had been excited and needed to show him who was greater. _Plus, he deserved it for pointlessly leaping at her again and again!_

The kit huffed, which would have sounded better if he hadn't been stuck underneath Dawnkit's paws. "Thanks. Now please let me up." He didn't sound too happy to be asking politely.

_He's been humiliated_, Dawnkit realized, _for attacking wildly so many times and missing, then finally being beaten like this. _But she wasn't going to let him get away that easily.

"Not until you apologize and promise that you won't keep leaping at me like a crazy cat for no reason at all." Dawnkit hoped that she sounded as strong and brave as she'd tried to make her voice.

There was a pause. Then, "Okay." The "okay" was accompanied with a sigh. "Now get_ off_ me!"

"Geez." Dawnkit jumped off, using Stormkit's back as a launching pad.

"Ow!"

Dawnkit ignored that. "It's getting dark," she stated. It was. The sun's last rays were sinking across the sky.

"So?" The tom-kit had halfway turned his back to her and was licking his dark gray pelt, carefully smoothing out the furrows that Dawnkit had dug into his fur.

"And…neither of us has been outside of our camp at dark, never mind even venturing out at all."

"Oh. That." The tom-kit looked up at the sky. "I can easily find my way back."

Dawnkit's eyes narrowed. _Was he bragging? _"Really? Then which way is back to your camp? Let me see you make it all the way back to your IceClan camp."

The tom-kit took the bait. "Really. I know exactly where to go." And with those boasting words, he turned around, took a step…and promptly fell over the edge of the rock and into the water.

Dawnkit immediately rushed to the precipice from where he had vanished. "Are you okay?" she called over the sound of running water. The stream wasn't very deep, which was why she had been able to swim in it, but what if he was hurt? Or dead? She couldn't make out his pelt anywhere in the tumbling water.

"I'm okay!" the tom-kit's voice called out. Dawnkit followed the sound and found him clinging to a rock, at the corner of her vision. She swung her neck to get a better look where the tom-kit was.

"Do you need help?" she called back.

"Of course not! I don't need help from _you,_ or anybody."

Dawnkit was shocked. She had been very friendly, until this kit had attacked her, and then she of course had to defend herself. And just now, she had been ready to go down to the river (in a much safer way than falling over, though), and help rescue him! _This stupid kit is unfriendly and cold, even though I'm trying to help him. What is wrong with him?_

As she had been pondering her thoughts the tom-kit had struggled out of the water and onto a grassy slope by the bank. Dawnkit jumped down from the rock and padded toward the tom-kit so that she could be able to continue talking with him. "See? I could do it."

Dawnkit rolled her eyes, not at all amazed by the fact that the tom-kit had actually made it out of the water by himself_. _"Yeah, yeah."

Suddenly, the tom-kit shook his pelt, spraying Dawnkit.

"Hey!" she yelped. That water was cold!

The tom-kit looked up with a gleam in his ice blue eyes. "That was payback."

Dawnkit growled and licked her fur to dry it quicker. True, she had done that to him, but only because she hadn't known he was there. _This kit is getting more annoying and unfriendly by the minute,_ she thought.

"What's your name?" the kit abruptly asked.

Dawnkit was caught off guard. "What?" _Well, that was a stupid answer,_ Dawnkit thought, immediately regretting what had come out of her mouth.

"Since I assume that your name is not actually 'what', I'll repeat my question. What's your name?" He paused one unnecessary second after each word in his last sentence as if he were talking an idiot cat.

She was put off, but she didn't show it. "My name is Dawnkit. What's yours?" she replied, trying to sound cheerful and nice.

"Stormkit."

Dawnkit nodded as if this was the most exciting thing she'd ever learned so far in her short life. Stormkit, huh? Well it did kind of match his fur… "Well, I should start heading home now."

"You have no idea where home _is_," the tom-kit—Stormkit—pointed out, seemingly a bit smug to Dawnkit.

"At least I'm not the one who bragged that they knew where their home was, and then fell into the water when they took a step." Dawnkit knew she was probably crossing a line but she felt like annoying him after his unfriendly manner.

A small growl erupted from Stormkit's throat. "Then _you_ go and find your way home safely," he challenged.

Dawnkit drew herself up to her full, but small, height. "Fine, then I—" She stopped short when she heard a rustling in a bush very close to them. The grass that they were standing on next to the bank of the stream was surrounded by leafy bushes on one side and then a crop of rocks on the other. There was only a thin path on where the rocks and bushes met. What animal was in that bush?

"Wha—"

Dawnkit whipped her tail around his mouth. "Shut up," she hissed.

Stormkit's eyes widened angrily and he looked like he was going to try and say something snarky back to her, even with Dawnkit's tail stuffed in his mouth, but then a shadow fell upon the two kits.

This time both kits' eyes widened, with shock and fear. Dawnkit had heard stories from the elders in which they had participated in a fight against an animal that was the same kind as the one that was looming above her. Tanglepelt even had a nick in his right ear as a result of that battle!

The animal growled—a menacing, terrifying growl.

Dawnkit wanted to shrink in a little ball and hide. _It's a fox…_

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><p>A cliffhanger! How fun. *evil look* :P<p>

Review, please! I would really appreciate getting more reviews for this story. :)

~Ponyiowa


	4. Chapter 4: Rowankit

Here's Chapter 4, everyone! :D I didn't know what to name it, so I just named it Rowankit because this chapter is when he appears. The beginning of this chapter is a bit filler, but then at the end it's not.

Mochikins: 0.o But thanks for the review!

Suntalon1010101: Thanks for reviewing every chapter! I hope that I can live up to your standards now. :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 4: Rowankit<span>

"Let's try here."

Hazeltail followed the flash of moonlight on Cherryfur's pelt as she disappeared through a gap between two bushes. He squeezed in through after her with a rustle of leaves. Nightpelt and Sparkheart were right behind him.

"Now everyone, take in a deep breath and try to find Dawnkit's scent," Cherryfur instructed them, inflating her own calico-colored chest.

Hazeltail followed her instructions, breathing in the peaceful night air and letting it flood his nostrils. A mouse had been here earlier…and Burnpaw had caught it…another mouse…a thrush…a third mouse…and then a fourth mouse after that…Was this some kind of secret meeting place for mice?

Wait! He caught a scent that smelled a bit like Dawnkit's. Hazeltail sniffed harder. It was definitely Dawnkit's scent, faint and almost nondescript. He guessed that she had gone through this place before the first mouse and Burnpaw, who just hadn't smelt it, with his mind concentrating on training and impressing his mentor. _If I hadn't specifically been looking for it, _Hazeltail mused, _I might have missed it too._

And he had specific reasons to be looking for it: first, his leader had told him to, and second, his sister Flamelight had looked so worried… It was her first litter of kits, and she had been very ashamed and torn up on the fact that she had lost one of them already. But Hazeltail had Dawnkit's scent now, and he would find her for his sister.

He turned to Cherryfur.

"Yes?"

"I've found her scent."

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><p>Rowankit <em>mrrowed<em> with excitement as he ran around the WaterClan nursery, tripping over his own paws. His sister Flowerkit was right next to him, her light brown tail waving back and forth.

His mother was purring even as her tail reached out to grab them in the darkness. "Hey! Get back here, you two!" Flowerkit's surprised squeak was muffled as Morningfeather's tail found her and carried her off to her mother's warm side.

"You'll never get me!" Rowankit shouted, and while he was busy bragging, he tumbled outside of the nursery.

He'd been out here before, since he was already 5 moons old, but only a few times, which had been rather short. So this was very interesting to him, especially because he'd never been out of the nursery at night.

"Wow," he breathed as he caught sight of the large moon in the sky. But then his small kit ears heard something and they swiveled toward the sound. It sounded like a large number of cats softly padding toward their camp…that would arrive _very _soon.

Then Morningfeather was suddenly at his side, dragging him back in. "It's time to go to sleep, Rowankit!" Her voice sounded fake, as if she didn't want Rowankit to see what was going to happen—which of course only made him want to watch it more.

"But Mom—" he whined as she pushed him into the nest with Flowerkit and then settled down next to them. "I want to watch!"

There was a pause, and then Morningfeather finally answered, "All right. But _don't_ go out of the nursery." Her blue eyes flashed in the darkness of the hollow as she gave the important warning.

"Yes!" Rowankit cheered and scrambled toward the entrance, skidding to a stop just where the moonlight began to shine. Flowerkit followed suit.

There was nothing new in the camp…yet. But even as they watched, a large number of cats started coming into the entrance.

"It looks like there are some IceClan and FireClan cats here," said Morningfeather, who had abandoned the rules she had given to her kits before and come to watch also.

"Cool," Flowerkit and Rowankit breathed.

The two kits watched excitedly as the group of cats filed into the camp. Surrounding them to make sure that they didn't try anything were five WaterClan cats.

"Look, there's your father, Gorsestripe," their mother told them, pointing out a ginger tom with her tail.

"I look just like him," said Rowankit proudly, puffing up his chest. He admired the way Gorsestripe slowly stalked around the visitors, making eye contact with each cat in a cool, fearsome way.

"Except with white patches," Flowerkit added with a nudge to Rowankit's side. "I look like Morningfeather." She looked up at her mother, who purred.

"Except without white patches," Rowankit countered, nudging her back.

Flowerkit was just about to bump him back when their mother shushed them and told them to watch what was happening.

Streamstar, WaterClan's leader, was coming out of her den. Flanking her on either side was her deputy, Lilytail, and her mate, Sedgefur. All around camp cats were peeking out of their dens to have a look at what was happening. Even cranky old Creekflow could be seen with his head just outside the elder's den.

As Streamstar, Lilytail, and Sedgefur came closer, the five WaterClan cats backed away to give them room to talk. Then it was the three leaders facing head on.

Streamstar spoke first. "Why are you here?"

"We came to see if you had seen our missing kits, Dawnkit from FireClan, and Stormkit from IceClan," Smokestar explained.

"No," Streamstar answered. "Is that the only reason you had for barging into my camp?"

"We found them just inside the border of our territory," Gorsestripe put in.

"Which was good, because we'd hoped there'd be a patrol that would accompany us to your camp," Snowstar said. "But now I see that it was for nothing. Thank you for answering our question."

He turned to leave, and so did Smokestar. Among the rest of the IceClan and FireClan cats, murmurs and mutterings like "I knew that WaterClan didn't take them!" and "This is why I never want to have kits—they're too much trouble" could be heard.

Rowankit was disappointed. _This is it? I thought there would be much more blood and yowling. _

His mother seemed to have read his mind. "That was a normal leader confrontation," she announced. "We try to avoid killing or hurting any cat, so it's usually just a few words exchanged and then they're done."

The FireClan and IceClan cats were starting to leave, with the same five WaterClan cats circling them to accompany them back to the FireClan and IceClan borders. But just then a tortoiseshell-and-white cat burst through the reed curtain that guarded the WaterClan camp. Four cats soon dashed into the camp after her—a brown-and-white she-cat, a dark gray tom, a cream colored she-cat, and a smaller striped ginger tom that must have been an apprentice.

"We're…sorry, Streamstar!" panted the brown-and-white she-cat, Branchlight. "We didn't…notice her until she was several…fox-lengths over the border, and she wouldn't…stop running…"

Except for Branchlight's voice and the labored breaths of tired cats, a silence seemed to have fallen over the camp.

"Sparkheart?" Smokestar asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes…Smokestar, we…found the kits—both of them. A large fox…the biggest I've ever seen… was standing over them. I came…to get help. Hurry!" Sparkheart shook all over, and then, seeming not to be able to take it standing anymore, sat down quivering on the ground. A medium-sized slash was seeping blood through her tortoiseshell-and-white coat. The WaterClan medicine cat, Redpelt, quickly dashed out, and with the help of Splashpaw and Lakepaw, led the wounded she-cat inside the medicine den.

Smokestar and Snowstar were already bounding out of the WaterClan camp with their cats following. Gorsestripe and the rest of his patrol disappeared after them. Then they were gone.

Rowankit knew that something very bad had happened. Creekflow, one of the elders, had once told him about how he had once seen a fox. It was bigger than a cat with a rusty orangish-red colored coat, and sharp teeth. He shivered.

His mother looked down on him with a sad expression on her face. "Well, _now _there's blood."

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><p>So sad...poor Sparkheart. Anyway, that's Chapter 4! Next chapter will be from Dawnkit's POV when they're cornered by the fox but <em>before<em> Cherryfur's patrol finds them. Review, please! :D

~Ponyiowa


	5. Chapter 5: The Fight

Hey guys! Sorry for not updating this sooner, but at first I had no time to write, but now since I am sick and at home, I am posting Chapter 5! Enjoy! :D

Dawn-of-the-Wolf: Well, here's more! :D

Mochikins: Thanks for pointing those mistakes out! :) I thought of calling it "Danger, Danger", so I just put it there, even though there wasn't that much danger, unless you count Sparkheart getting hurt. Then I thought of calling it Rowankit, because he was going to be a major character soon in the next chapters (Pay attention to that!) but I forgot to change the actual title in the story. There were a lot of cats being introduced into the story, true; I actually didn't seem to notice that until you pointed it out to me, so sorry to everyone who lost track of what was happening.

KodochaFan55: Yes, it will have more romance! ;) Thanks for reviewing!

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><p><span>Chapter 5: The Fight<span>

Dawnkit stared into the black, flat eyes of the fox as it came closer and stood up straighter. If she was going to die, at least she wasn't going to cower.

Okay, well maybe she might. Its breath smelled really bad.

Behind her, Stormkit was growling under his breath as if it might intimidate the fox, but it sounded a bit more like whimpering.

Dawnkit turned her head to him to say, "You're not making matters any better with your _whimpering_", and in that second the fox stepped even closer.

It circled them slowly, black eyes glinting in the moonlight. Dawnkit suddenly remembered of a time when she was three moons old and didn't know any better: _Flamelight had just brought Mistkit and her, a mouse of their very own, to eat. It was still alive, though barely, and had squirmed as their mother dropped it on the ground in front of them._

_Dawnkit had slowly crept up to the mouse and poked it with one paw. When it didn't respond, she poked it again. It tried to crawl away from her. _

_And then she had pretended to pounce on it a couple of times, eliciting a squeak from the poor animal each time she nearly landed on it. Her mom had been talking with Sootcloud, another queen, but now she saw Dawnkit playing with the mouse._

_"Dawnkit, stop that right now!"_

_"But I was just having fun—" Dawnkit had tried to explain, but Flamelight had interrupted her._

_"Don't play with your food. Respect your prey and thank StarClan that you have it to eat," Flamelight had reprimanded her._

_She had dutifully nodded yes to her mother, and then the memory ended with all three of them sharing the mouse. _

Dawnkit now felt like that poor mouse she had tortured that day ago, like knowing you were going to die and yet, still being played with.

She heard the crunch of grass behind her, but this time she only peeked at it from the corner of her eye. To her surprise, Stormkit had moved to stand behind her, his tail almost touching hers.

_What…_ Oh, she got it. They were standing back to back now—he would protect her back from the fox, and she would do the same. For an annoying kit, he did have some good strategy ideas. But they wouldn't be any use if they were dead.

"Get ready for when it lunges," Stormkit said to her out of the corner of his mouth.

She inclined her head downward; not wanting to incite the fox any sooner, and hoped that Stormkit had seen it. Apparently he had, because he didn't say anything else.

The fox was loping around them in even tighter circles, forcing them together so that they would be easy to pick off. When the fox made an especially close turn, shoving its ugly muzzle into Dawnkit's face, she backed up some more, bumping up against Stormkit.

"Hey!"

And then the fox lunged.

As time slowed in front of her eyes, Dawnkit thought, _Geez, and_ you_ were the one who told us to keep ready, Stormkit._

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><p>Stormkit immediately regretted his outburst at Dawnkit. First, he felt bad, even though it didn't show through his frosty exterior, and second, he was probably about to get eaten.<p>

The fox had sprung for Dawnkit's hindquarters, obviously hoping to knock her down for an easy kill, but being small did have its advantages. The golden she-kit had rolled out of the way and sprang up behind it.

_Must have been from me leaping at her all the time,_ Stormkit thought wryly with a sudden flash of humor.

Next the fox turned to him, but he ducked and dodged every killing blow the fox threw at him. However, the fox was causing him to back up, and soon he could feel the roughness of the rocks beneath his paw pads. This wasn't causing him any worry though, so he began taunting the fox.

"Ha! You can't get me. You haven't been able to land one single blow on me this whole time."

"Stormkit…" Dawnkit said warningly, but he paid her no attention.

"You're only a fox, who can't even attack two kits. In fact, I bet you can't even catch a mouse." He waved his tail tauntingly.

In that second of a tail wave, the fox sprang at him, and so did Dawnkit. The she-kit was closer, and so she knocked him over first and they went tumbling onto the grass.

_What the heck is she doing?_ Stormkit thought as the world turned upside-down, then right side up, then upside-down again.

Finally the spinning stopped, and Stormkit got up with a shake of his head. "What is your problem?" he hissed, annoyed.

"What do you mean? I just saved your life! Look!" Dawnkit's green eyes flashed as she angrily jabbed her tail at the stream bank.

A wet, water-soaked fox was clambering out of the stream. It did _not_ look happy.

In a second, Stormkit knew what had happened. The fox must have been slowly backing him up against the rock's edge, cornering him, but he had been too busy making fun of the fox to notice it. And then, Dawnkit had knocked him out of the way, so instead of the fox pouncing down on him, it had went flying into the stream.

Which meant that, as Dawnkit had said, she had probably saved his life.

Stormkit looked back at Dawnkit, who still looked annoyed at his ungratefulness. "Uh, thanks," he meowed, suddenly feeling self-conscious. _Now I'm in debt to her. Great._

She made a scoffing sound. "You should be."

By now, the fox had fully made it onto dry land and was charging toward them again, and there would be no escape. Except…

Stormkit's ears caught the sound of cats running toward them. He tilted his head to try to hear it better. Whoever they were, they were coming from the direction of the FireClan camp, in front of them. Maybe it was a patrol coming to help them! He felt hopeful.

"I think there's a patrol coming," he whispered to Dawnkit.

She cocked her head, listened, and nodded, but didn't deign to actually speak to him.

_"Either she's still mad at me, or she doesn't want to provoke the fox,"_ Stormkit thought.

The next few seconds were chaotic as four FireClan cats tore through the stream and bounded toward them. The fox turned toward the newcomers with a surprised yip, then started to fight back. The FireClan cats were well-trained warriors, but they were fighting against a large and very hungry fox, so the outcome didn't look good.

A calico she-cat, after trying to swipe her paw down the fox's face and missing, yowled to a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, "Sparkheart! Go to the IceClan camp and get help!" The said she-cat nodded her head and bounded past Stormkit and Dawnkit, a bright red slash on her coat.

After what seemed like forever, more cats leaped into the fray, this time coming from the direction of the IceClan camp, of course.

Stormkit watched, wide-eyed, as the warriors surrounded the fox, almost seeming to swallow it. The fox seemed to know that it was cornered and tried to sneak its way out, but no one was allowing that to happen. With a final slash from Snowstar, it crumpled and fell dead onto the ground.

The fight was over.

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><p>I feel this chapter is a bit more serious, which is not to my taste, but don't worry, it'll get more brighter later. I don't think I wrote this last part of the story well, it might have been a bit rushed, but I think it came out okay. And yes, Dawnkit is mad at Stormkit for saving his life (pretty much) and then he gets up and yells at her. I think she was looking for a "Thank you" there. :P Well, that's it for today! Review, please! I would love to hear of what you think of this! :D<p>

~Ponyiowa


	6. Chapter 6: Her Punishment

Sorry for not updating so long, guys! But I would have more motivation if I did get more reviews. ;)

Mochikins: I'll fix that mistake, thanks! I do see your point about not putting quotation marks around thoughts, but since there are already so many thoughts and I'm too lazy to go through it, I'll just leave it at that and continue doing quotationed thoughts, but if you think it's a big problem then I'll fix it. :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors; if I did, Tigerheart and Dovewing would be married by now.** ) See, I made one of those specialized disclaimers now! :D Anyway, onto the story. This one is the longest chapter so far.

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><p><span>Chapter 6: Her Punishment<span>

If you were to dig a hole in the nursery roof of a certain FireClan camp, you would see a dismal sight that would make you sympathize with a knowing nod. You would see a golden she-kit lying on a pillow of moss; head plopped on her paws, staring bleakly at the nursery wall. You would see the lackluster and jaded look in those normally bright green eyes. In fact, you would see a very bored kit.

Dawnkit sighed and rolled onto her back, glancing up at the light filtering through slight cracks in the nursery roof. The entire nursery was empty except for a snoring Robinfeather curled up in the opposite corner. She was almost due to kit, so now the tabby she-cat was sleeping almost every afternoon.

However, everyone else was outside in the bright sunshine, having fun, while she was confined to this place until Smokestar decided what do with her—which basically meant, until he was done deciding what punishment she was going to get. Dawnkit shut her eyes against the sunlight, reliving what had happened after the fox was killed.

_Snowstar sheathed his bloody claws and looked around. "The fox is dead!" he announced to anyone who hadn't already seen. _

_Dawnkit breathed a sigh of relief, which was quickly quenched by the realization that she was in big, big trouble. "I hope I still get to be an apprentice at 6 moons," she thought, though her hopefulness was dim. _

_"Dawnkit? Dawnkit!" _

_She realized her name was being called, with a familiar voice. "Flamelight?"_

_Her mother's flame colored pelt briefly appeared before she was squashed under the weight of her mother's embrace. "Dawnkit! I was so worried when I found out you were gone. I'm so happy you're safe. But you're in trouble, you know. The leaders aren't too happy about this incident. Oh, and Bluetail, that nosy she-cat from IceClan, is running around announcing that you were with another kit from IceClan."_

_"This is the mother that I know well," Dawnkit thought with a purr as she crawled out from under her mother's paws. "Uh…" she started, wondering how to explain it all. "I was just exploring, and—"_

_"Ah, here's the other kit Bluetail's been talking about!" Flamelight suddenly mewed self-satisfactorily as she spotted Stormkit sulking by himself a few fox-tail lengths away from them. His head shot up like a surprised bird, though, alarmed, when he heard Flamelight's exclamation. _

_Dawnkit had to stifle a laugh as Flamelight walked over to Stormkit. This, she had to see. _And maybe Stormkit would get what he deserved from Flamelight!__

_"So you're the one who got yourself in trouble, huh?" the ginger she-cat mewed curiously. _

_"…Yes." Stormkit was now grooming himself, pretending to look uninterested._

_"And you're the one who made all 3 Clans come together to fight off the fox?" Flamelight was clearly exaggerating, since not _all_ of the warriors had come._

_"…Yes." Dawnkit could see that Stormkit was clearly not enjoying this. His stormy grey pelt was ruffled up in irritation and his entire body was tensed up. Maybe Flamelight was going a little bit too far._

_"And you're the one who yelled and provoked the fox to attack suddenly, making the fox go for my daughter?" Dawnkit winced. Her mother had now gone into "protective Flamelight" mode. No doubt she had gotten all her information from Bluetail._

_"N-ye-Why am I even talking to you?" Stormkit exploded. All of his fur was fluffed up (making him look like a small puffball, Dawnkit noted with a small laugh) and his body literally bristled with annoyance as he touchily brushed past them._

_"Your mother is weird," he hissed into her ear as he stalked past her. _

_Dawnkit spun around to face his retreating back. "What!" she yowled, outraged. She was just about to treat him to a hundred reasons why her mother wasn't weird and why _he _was, but just then a brown tabby she-cat dashed through the crowd of proud cats, blocking Stormkit's furious retreat. "Stormkit! There you are! I've been so nervous! Are you hurt? Did the fox get you anywhere? I was so worried when you disappeared!"_

_"MUH-ther!" Stormkit's outraged squawk could be heard as he disappeared under a flurry of licking and his mother's paws. A few soft-hearted she-cats _"awwwed" _in unison at this. _

_"Awww, isn't that cute," Dawnkit thought sarcastically, with a hint of sneering contentment._

_Stormkit had finally gotten out from his mother's tight hold and was now trying to wriggle out from the brown tabby paws. "Geez, Mom!"_

_"But I'm not done licking your—" _

_"I'm going back to the IceClan camp now." Stormkit tried to disappear through the crowd of celebrating warriors who were congratulating each other on their take down of the fox, but before he could escape, Dawnkit managed to hiss in his ear, "And my mom is weird? I'd say yours is _embarrassing_." _

_But he only responded with a growl, and pushed away from her to disappear into the mass of cats—which only proved that Dawnkit had won with her insult. _

_Her satisfaction was short-lived though, as she looked up into the amber eyes of her leader Smokestar. "You're coming with me," he meowed._

Dawnkit sighed again and wondered for the thousandth time if she would still be allowed to become an apprentice, the ceremony now only a half-moon away. It would feel horrible if her sister Mistkit and Emberkit, Willowkit, and Swiftkit all became apprentices while she was still stuck as a kit.

But it would be _especially_ terrible if that annoying, cold, arrogant Stormkit became an apprentice for the next Gathering before she did. She could just imagine meeting him at a Gathering finally as an apprentice, after Smokestar had made her wait a whole moon (would he really?): "Dawnkit? Oh, wait, you're Dawn_paw_ now," he would smirk. "Sorry, I forgot, since everyone else has become an apprentice while you were still a kit. I've been training too, because I actually became an apprentice at the right time. You wouldn't be able to stand a chance in a fight against me."

Too bad the Gathering had to be peaceful. If that _wasn't_ against the rules and she _was _made an apprentice late and he _did_ say all those things, she would tear him into little bits. But wait. Wouldn't his leader punish him too and hold back his apprentice ceremony? She certainly would hope for that.

The sound of softly padding paws interrupted her thoughts. Dawnkit looked up and saw Sparkheart's tortoiseshell-and-white face peek into the nursery den. "Dawnkit? Smokestar wants to see you now."

"Okay," Dawnkit replied, and she got up to join Sparkheart outside the nursery. While they were making the short walk to the leader's den, she couldn't help but notice Sparkheart's side. The she-cat's wound had healed, with no festering sores, fortunately, but there would always be a pink raised scar there now.

Sparkheart must have felt her look, for she turned her head to look at the she-kit. "You like it?" she teased. "I think it makes me look rugged."

Dawnkit allowed the corners of her mouth to turn up, but she was still worried about what Smokestar was going to decree. The two she-cats were quiet for the rest of the way, which wasn't long, thankfully.

At the entrance of the leader's den, Sparkheart turned to go, but not before whispering, "Good luck." Dawnkit nodded and then walked into the den. Inside the den were Smokestar, Blossompetal, Nightpelt, who was a senior warrior respected for his experience, her father, Rainfall, and her mother, Flamelight.

The den was crowded with 6 cats in normally 1 cat's sleeping quarters, and the golden she-kit felt especially small with 5 pairs of authoritative eyes staring down at her. Her mother tried to make Dawnkit feel more relaxed with a small tail wave, but it didn't work. She was still extremely nervous.

"We have all discussed this matter concerning you," Smokestar's deep voice boomed. "There is to be no protesting when you hear what we have decided."

Inside Dawnkit was surprised that they had already decided without her. Weren't they going to confer about it in front of her and make her watch so that she could explain in answer to their questions about what had happened? But there was nothing that she could do, so she merely nodded instead.

Blossompetal delivered the punishment. "Our decision is that you have to clean out the elder's den every day for a half-moon when you become an apprentice, along with helping Sagetail sort and collect herbs for the same amount of time."

"And you may also go to the next Gathering if you do your jobs well," Nightpelt said. "You'll have to work hard to fit that in besides training to be a warrior, but it'll be worth it!" her mother added brightly with another tail wave.

Her sentence announced, the warriors began trailing out of the leader's den, but Dawnkit just stayed there, shocked. _She was going to be an apprentice? She _was_ going to be an apprentice! _

Suddenly Smokestar cleared his throat to get her attention, and Dawnkit looked at him. "You may leave now," he said gruffly.

"Oh. Right," Dawnkit agreed quickly and got up to leave. She didn't want Smokestar to get annoyed at her and take back his decision of making her an apprentice. She was almost out the door when she heard, "Dawnkit?" and turned around to see Smokestar looking at her with almost a smile on his face. "Train hard," he advised, "so you can be the best warrior that you can."

"I will," Dawnkit promised, and she padded out into the bright greenleaf sunshine. _She was going to be an apprentice!_

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><p>Smokestar might sound a little too close to Dawnkit in this chapter, like in the second-to-last paragraph, but don't worry, this isn't one of the leaderXkitapprentice romance fics. If you're good at reading fanfics, you probably already know who I have in mind for Dawnkit. ;) Please review, it really makes my day and I only got one review last chapter! :( Anyway, _au revoir!_

~ponyiowa


	7. Chapter 7: Ceremonies

Hey, guys! Here is Chapter 7. Not a lot happens, except for that all the Clans are performing their apprentice and warrior ceremonies. All of the traditional kit-to-apprentice and apprentice-to-warrior ceremony words are from the Warriors wikia site, so I apologize if I got anything wrong; please tell me if I do.

Mochikins: Yeah, it is obvious, but they pretty much hate each other right, now, so yeah. :P Anyway, I corrected the fragment and thanks for telling me!

Ja'-wR1t3sxxx713: Thank you! :)

Also, thanks to everyone who has story favorited/alerted and author favorited/alerted so far! It makes my day when you guys do that (and review it, too.) :D

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 7: The Ceremonies<span>

A short half moon later, the sun rose high in the sky while Smokestar called all the FireClan cats for a meeting. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather around the Firestone!" He leapt onto a large copper-colored, burnished stone reserved for occasions like this one. Blossompetal sat in her appointed place, a medium-sized niche in the side of the rock just below Smokestar.

Cats abandoned whatever they were doing—eating, sharing tongues, playing, and the like. Applepaw was sent to drag the elders from their den to come and watch. But all of that didn't matter to Dawnkit—the only thing that did was that she was going to be an apprentice.

All morning, that single phrase had ran through her mind repeatedly like an annoying mouse. "I'm going to be an apprentice. I'm going to be an apprentice!" Even the bird that Flamelight gave Mistkit and Dawnkit to eat, which was normally Dawnkit's favorite fresh-kill, felt tasteless in her mouth. Eventually Flamelight had had to resort to threatening Dawnkit with the thought of her mother going to Smokestar, and speaking to him about not letting Dawnkit become an apprentice unless she actually ate something. Dawnkit ate her prey better after that.

But all of those things weren't significant anymore, because she was going to become an apprentice—right here, and right now! Her family—Rainfall, Flamelight, and Mistkit—sat beside her. The other family whose kits were going to become apprentices too: Leopardspot and two of his kits, Willowkit and Swiftkit, also sat near her. Emberkit and Sootcloud hadn't joined them, however, because they weren't done with their battle yet.

"But Mom!" Emberkit was whining by the entrance of the nursery.

"Emberkit, I promise you that if you stay right there and put up with this, this whole ordeal will be over sooner than you think," his mother assured, even though she was trying to hold down her fidgeting son to groom him, but failing.

"I don't want to be licked! I look fine!" the dark brown kit protested fruitlessly. "Mom, seriously!"

"Look at your brother and sister," Sootcloud chided. "They let me groom them." Indeed, when you looked at them, Swiftkit's and Willowkit's brown and black's pelts were groomed to perfection, worthy of a mother's pride.

"I'm not Willowkit or Swiftkit," Emberkit said, naming his siblings.

"Do you want to become an apprentice or not?" asked Sootcloud. "If you aren't clean enough Smokestar might decide not to let you become a paw," she added, exploiting a wide-known FireClan phrase that had been created to be used as a threat for unwilling kits.

Emberkit's blue eyes opened wide. "Of course I do!"

"Then come and let me lick you."

"Alri—" Emberkit started, but Smokestar had begun speaking. With a gleeful _mrrow_, he bounded away to sit beside the rest of his family. His mother followed him with a sigh.

"Cats of FireClan, we are gathered today for a special ceremony. First up, Swiftkit, please come." The dappled brown kit walked slowly up to his leader, calm and in control, and jumped up with him on the low set copper-colored rock. "Swiftkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Swiftpaw. Your mentor will be Mintpelt. I hope Mintpelt will pass down all she knows to you." He nodded at the light brown tabby she-cat, who joined them.

"Mintpelt,you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Tanglepelt, and you have shown yourself to be thoughtful and brave. You will be the mentor of Swiftpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." Mintpelt purred, and she and the newly named apprentice touched noses, and then went off to sit together.

"Swiftpaw! Swiftpaw! Swiftpaw!" the Clan chanted. Smokestar went on, making Willowkit, Emberkit, and Mistkit apprentices. Each time they got their new name, FireClan cheered. "Willowpaw! Emberpaw! Mistpaw!" Finally, it was Dawnkit's turn. Dawnkit proudly jumped up onto the rock with her leader.

"Dawnkit,you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed," Smokestar began. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Dawnpaw. Your mentor will be Honeyleaf." The said ginger she-cat leapt up on the rock with them. "I hope Honeyleaf will pass down all she knows to you.

"Honeyleaf,you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Cherryfur, and you have shown yourself to be thoughtful and intelligent. You will be the mentor of Dawnpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Dawnpaw excitedly touched noses with her new mentor, while FireClan called out her new name. "Dawnpaw! Dawnpaw! Dawnpaw!" She then went back to sit with Flamelight, Rainfall, and her sister Mistpaw. Though she was trying to keep cool and relaxed, inside she was bouncing around like an excited kit. _"I'm finally an apprentice! This is so amazing!"_

"We are also gathered today to name several warriors," continued Smokestar, and called Scorchpaw up to the Firestone. "I, Smokestar, leader of FireClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Scorchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Scorchpaw answered solemnly, "Yes."

Smokestar said, "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Scorchpaw, from this moment you will be known as Scorchclaw. StarClan honors your strength and fighting skill, and we welcome you as a full warrior of FireClan."

"Scorchclaw! Scorchclaw! Scorchclaw!" FireClan repeated. Smokestar laid his muzzle on Scorchclaw's head, and the newly named warrior respectfully licked Smokestar's shoulder. Smokestar also named Graypaw as Graystep, Applepaw as Applefern, Rosepaw as Rosepool, and Burnpaw as Burnpelt. FireClan cheered all of their names too.

At last, all of the ceremonies were done, and FireClan was done welcoming all its newly named apprentices and warriors: Dawnpaw, Mistpaw, Swiftpaw, Willowpaw, and Emberpaw, Scorchclaw, Graystep, Applefern, Rosepool, Burnpelt. "We are thankful to StarClan for giving us so many warriors and apprentices," Smokestar concluded. "Train hard and defend your Clan!" With that he jumped down from the Firestone, and the FireClan cats were free to congratulate each other and bask in their new position.

"We're apprentices now!" Mistpaw gushed happily to her sister. "Isn't it so exciting?"

"I know!" Dawnpaw squealed back. "It's so cool!"

"Mistpaw, Dawnpaw, now that you're apprentices, don't go celebrating around like kits!" their father reprimanded them, but his tail was curled high over his back with pride.

Flamelight purred. "Now work hard and become warriors soon!"

"We will!" the two sisters chorused. Their parents nodded at them proudly and went over to congratulate Leopardspot and Sootcloud on their new apprentices. With a final "This is so awesome!" Mistpaw disappeared to talk with Willowpaw, and Dawnpaw was left standing alone, though she didn't feel like it with all her happiness.

Then Honeyleaf appeared. "Hello, Dawnpaw!"

"Hello, Honeyleaf," Dawnpaw replied to the cat who would be her mentor for the next several moons.

"I've decided that today I'm going to take you to explore the FireClan territory, though you probably explored some of it_ already_ on your escapade," Honeyleaf announced with some laughter in her voice, "and learn the other Clans' scents."

Dawnpaw was surprised. "I'm starting my apprentice training right now?" she couldn't keep herself from blurting out.

Her mentor purred. "Of course, we are, Dawnpaw! Don't you want to get an early start to becoming a warrior?"

"Of course I do!" Dawnpaw assured her. _"I just didn't know we'd start training so quickly!"_

"Then let's get started."

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><p>There's Chapter 7, guys! :) Next chapter, I will put up <strong>Updated Allegiances<strong> in front of Chapter 8, plus there'll be some new she-cats moving to the FireClan, IceClan, and WaterClan nurseries, just 'cause I want to put that in. XD Review, please! Thank you. :D

~Ponyiowa


	8. Chapter 8: Training

Here is Chapter 8, guys! I put the new updated allegiances in front of the chapter, and as I also told you last chapter, I added some new queens in, since it's newleaf and love is in the air, or something like that... ;) I think this chapter is pretty much filler, but then again, not every chapter can have dynamic actions and shocking discoveries in it. :P I hope you enjoy it!

Mochikins: Thanks! I was excited that Dawnpaw became an apprentice too. :P There was 7 chapters of her as a kit (but almost an apprentice), and I've noticed that quite a lot warrior fanfics start with the main character as an apprentice. However, Dawn_kit_ was almost 6 moons at the beginning, so I can't say much about that either. :P

Smurflover: Yes, I'm writing this all by myself (I know you read my other one so you thought I might be cowriting this one too)! :D Thanks for the review!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. Duh. :P**

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><p><strong><span>Updated Allegiances:<span>**

**FireClan**

Leader: Smokestar-smoky gray tom with white streaks of fur along his coat

Deputy: Blossompetal-brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Sagetail: orange tabby tom with white paws

Warriors:

Cherryfur-calico she-cat

Leopardspot-dappled dark brown tom

Nightpelt-large black tom with green eyes

Rainfall-gray tabby tom with green eyes _(apprentice, Willowpaw)_

Rockfeather-stocky brown tom _(apprentice, Emberpaw)_

Flowerstep-light brown she-cat

Hazeltail-mottled brown tom with blue eyes

Sparkheart-pretty tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Mintpelt-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes _(apprentice, Swiftpaw)_

Oakstorm-striped brown tom _(apprentice, Mistpaw)_

Ashpool-gray tom with black flecks on coat

Honeyleaf-ginger she-cat with white paws _(apprentice, Dawnpaw)_

Flamelight-dark ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Scorchclaw-dark gray tabby tom with black flecks on coat

Graystep-light gray tom with green eyes

Applefern-small brown she-cat with amber eyes

Rosepool-striped brown she-cat with amber eyes

Burnpelt- ginger tom with white paws

Apprentices:

Dawnpaw-golden she-cat with green eyes _(mentor, Honeyleaf)_

Mistpaw-light gray she-cat with blue eyes _(mentor, Oakstorm)_

Emberpaw-dark brown tom with lighter highlights along coat _(mentor, Rockfeather)_

Swiftpaw-dappled brown tom _(mentor, Mintpelt)_

Willowpaw-brown-and-black she-cat _(mentor, Rainfall)_

Queens:

Robinfeather-reddish tabby she-cat (mother of Ashpool's kits, Cinderkit, a gray she-cat, and Brackenkit, a dark orangish-brown tom)

Mousefoot-brown tabby she-cat (expecting Oakstorm's kits)

Elders:

Tanglepelt-long haired gray tom with a nick in one ear

Daisytail-fluffy white she-cat

**IceClan**

Leader: Snowstar-large, broad shouldered white tom with blue eyes

Deputy: Coldbreeze-dark grey tom

Medicine cat: Birdwing-fluffy brown she-cat _(apprentice, Darkclaw)_

Warriors:

Sharpstrike-striped dark brown tom

Twistfang-orange tabby she-cat with sharp features

Hailpelt-white tom with black paws _(apprentice, Sorrelpaw)_

Whiteheart-pure white she-cat

Maplestripe-striped orange tom with amber eyes _(apprentice, Owlpaw)_

Cricketsong-tortoiseshell she-cat

Blackfrost-handsome black tom with ice-blue eyes

Foxfoot-reddish tom

Kestrelfeather-fluffy dark brown she-cat

Brackenpelt-ginger tom _(apprentice, Frostypaw)_

Bluetail-blue-grey she-cat with amber eyes _(apprentice, Stormpaw)_

Freezepool-dark grey tabby she-cat

Patchfur-brown, white, and black patched tom _(apprentice, Dapplepaw)_

Leaftail-pretty brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Blizzardrain-white she-cat

Dustfoot-ginger tom with blue eyes

Bouncespirit-grey she-cat

Apprentices:

Darkclaw- striped dark brown tom with blue eyes _(mentor, Birdwing)_

Stormpaw-dark stormy gray kit with ice-blue eyes _(mentor, Bluetail)_

Frostypaw-black she-cat with green eyes _(mentor, Brackenpelt)_

Sorrelpaw-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes _(mentor, Hailpelt)_

Dapplepaw-dappled brown she-cat with amber eyes _(mentor, Patchfur)_

Owlpaw-dark orange tom with amber eyes _(mentor, Maplestripe)_

Queens:

Brightmist-gray she-cat (expecting Sharpstrike's kits)

Cloudcoat-white she-cat with blue eyes (expecting Patchfur's kits)

Elders:

Owlclaw-dappled white-and-gray she-cat

Cedarfur-brown tabby tom with white tipped-tail

Boulderheart-black tom with amber eyes

**WaterClan**

Leader: Streamstar-white she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Lilytail-dark brown she-cat

Medicine cat: Redpelt-reddish tom with white paws

Warriors:

Heatherwhisker-light brown she-cat

Marshfoot-striped gray tom

Ebonypelt-pitch black she-cat with green eyes

Petalnose-brown tabby she-cat

Sedgefur-dark brown tom with black tipped ears

Pebblestep-dark gray tom _(apprentice, Rowanpaw)_

Branchlight-brown-and-white she-cat

Gorsestripe-ginger tom with amber eyes

Tawnyspot-black, brown, and white she-cat _(apprentice, Flowerpaw)_

Ripplepool-mottled brown-and-gray tom

Fernsong-cream colored she-cat with blue eyes

Brooktail-dark gray tabby she-cat with one black paw

Pikeheart-black tom with amber eyes

Morningfeather-white-and-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Splashnose-dark brown tabby tom with white patches

Lakeberry-pretty white she-cat with green eyes

Thistlemask-striped ginger tom with amber eyes

Frogleap-brown tom with black eyes

Apprentices:

Rowanpaw-ginger-and-white tom with amber eyes _(mentor, Pebblestep)_

Flowerpaw-light brown she-cat with blue eyes patches _(mentor, Tawnyspot)_

Queens:

Brambleberry-light gray she-cat (expecting Pebblestep's kits)

Minnowclaw-brown tabby she-cat with white paws (expecting Marshfoot's kits)

Elders:

Creekflow-large brown tom with stiff joints

Duskfeather-brown tabby tom with green eyes

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><p><span>Chapter 8: Training<span>

"That's it, Dawnpaw! Now…pounce!"

Dawnpaw quickly shifted out of the FireClan hunting crouch Honeyleaf had taught her and leapt for the leaf that currently served as a mouse. She'd misjudged the distance, though, and landed in an ungraceful heap in front of her mentor. _Aaaargh! _This was the third time she'd tried—and failed. "Stupid leaf," she growled under her breath.

Honeyleaf said encouragingly, "You just needed to jump a little further. Try again."

Even though her mood was slightly dampened by her pouncing failure, Dawnpaw jumped to her feet to try again. Truth be told though, not all of her enthusiasm was because this was her second day of being an apprentice—but also because she needed to become the best warrior that she could, and be better than that annoying Stormkit. Or was he Stormpaw now? She paused to think about that, but Honeyleaf was going over her instructions. "Remember to distribute your weight evenly and jump noiselessly. If you rustle any leaves or grass when you take off, the mouse will run away. Just focus on your target and go for it."

Dawnpaw nodded, got into position, and…sprung! She landed _exactly_ on the leaf. "I got it! I got it!" she cheered.

Her mentor purred. "Good job, Dawnpaw! Now, try jumping from a further distance, and don't forget to really put some power in your back legs."

Now in a much lighter mood over her triumph, Dawnpaw pounced for the leaf once more, and landed squarely on it, with Honeyleaf giving encouragements all the while. She repeated this success enthusiastically again and again, each time better than the last. After all, now all she had to do was, instead of a mouse, pretend that the leaf was Stormpaw. It wasn't that hard.

Finally, Honeyleaf ended Dawnpaw's first training session. The golden she-cat was still high up on her leaf/mouse/fake Stormpaw tackling success, but in truth, she _was_ a little tired. Her mentor, however, was impressed with her good work. "You did _really_ well for your first training session!" Honeyleaf told her apprentice. "You truly pushed off on those hind legs. What sort of motivation do you have, a bet with your sister?" The ginger she-cat's eyes danced with amusement and humor."

"Something…like that," Dawnpaw replied, stretching the truth more than a little, but it wasn't like her mentor was ever going to find out about her extreme dislike of Stormpaw. Overall, though, she felt extremely satisfied with herself, like she had just finished a particularly succulent bird, as she walked back to the FireClan camp with Honeyleaf.

She was immediately greeted with a chorus of "Dawnpaw!" once she walked into the camp. Her sister's gray colored pelt and Willowpaw's brown-and-black one appeared in front of her. "Hi, Mistpaw, Willowpaw!" she answered back with the same amount of gusto.

"Oakstorm and Rainfall took us out to scent prey today!" Willowpaw announced. _Oh, yeah_, Dawnpaw remembered, _Oakstorm and my father Rainfall, are Mistpaw's and Willowpaw's mentors._

"I almost caught a mouse, but Willowpaw got a vole," Mistpaw added. "It was only a whisker-length away, but then I accidentally stepped on a twig. Next time I'll get it!" Her blue eyes gleamed with the eagerness that all the newly-made apprentices had. "Oh! What did you do, Dawnpaw?"

"_Now_ you remember that I have something to share, too," Dawnpaw couldn't resist putting in, making Mistpaw and Willowpaw look sheepish, before continuing, "I learned how to pounce on a mouse. I used a leaf, though. Here, I'll show you!" Quickly she nipped off one of the bright green leaves dotting the branches around the warrior's den, set it down, and backed away from it. With Willowpaw and Mistpaw watching her keenly, she changed into the FireClan hunting crouch her mentor had taught her, and then sprung for the leaf, imagining it was Stormpaw.

Once again, she landed right on her target. _I got it again!_ Dawnpaw thought joyfully.

"Great job, Dawnpaw!" her sister congratulated her.

"You even tore it up," Willowpaw added, impressed.

_She had?_ Dawnpaw glanced down, surprised to see that her claws were out and that the green leaf was now in shreds. _Hmm. My secret method really works!_ "Thanks, guys," she meowed. "Hey, I'm hungry. Anyone want to get some fresh-kill?"

The two other she-cats agreed, and they headed over to the fresh-kill pile. Willowpaw excitedly pointed out her own catch, the vole, but picked out a mouse instead so that she could watch to see who would take it. Dawnpaw chose her favorite prey, a bird, and Mistpaw opted for a mole.

Together the three friends settled down by an old fallen log near the entrance of the apprentices den to eat their evening meal. Willowpaw and Mistpaw chatted and laughed about their day's occurrences, in which Dawnpaw would normally have joined in, but this time she chose to just lie there and enjoy her bird and the company of her friends. _Today,_ she decided, _was satisfying and good. _

And if you happened to see the golden she-cat's expression as the sun started to set, you would indeed find an air of contentment and satisfaction as she curled up in her nest at the middle of the apprentice's den to sleep.

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><p>This chapter's a little short, too... Isn't it weird how whenever I put the allegiances up, the chapter's short? Oh, well. :P I wasn't too satisfied with the ending line, and I think this chapter was a bit rushed, but at least you got to see her feelings for Stormpaw. ;) The last two chapters have been Stormpaw-less (3, if you don't count him in Dawnpaw's flashback), but in the next chapter you'll get to hear him whine about why in the name of StarClan he got Bluetail for a mentor...did anyone catch that in the allegiances? ;) Review, review, review, please! :D<p>

~Ponyiowa


	9. Chapter 9: Stormpaw and His Mentor

Alright, you guys know that I usually update three or more days after I put up each chapter, but this time is different! Here are my reasons: a) to catch up for the long period of time I didn't update between my first and second chapter, b) it's an early Veteran's Day present, and c) it's to reward my faithful readers (plus The Goddess of Darkness's PMing helped :D). This chapter is the most longest so far, so take some time reading it! :)

The Goddess of Darkness: Yes, I updated! Thanks for your enthusiasm in my story and enjoy this treat! :P

Mochikins: I didn't notice that, but I corrected it now! I can't believe I forgot to put every ex-queen back into the Warriors section. *facepalm* That line was my favorite, too, and I admit, it was kind of disturbing, yet cute. :) And even though your threat/joke failed (:P), here's Chapter 9! With Stormpaw's POV. :D

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, but I'm writing a fanfic about it anyway. Got a problem? :P**

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><p><span>Chapter 9: Stormpaw and His Mentor<span>

_Is this some kind of joke?_ Stormpaw thought as he grumpily followed his…his _mentor_—he could hardly bear to call her that—into The Silver, a small copse of silver elm trees that was pretty much the only woodland in IceClan's territory. _How in the world did I get Bluetail for a mentor? Does StarClan hate me or something?_ _She doesn't even care that I'm only half-listening to her! Not that there's _much_ to listen to,_ he thought crossly.

In fact, Bluetail _was_ turning out to be a not-so-great mentor. The talkative blue-grey she-cat was chattering like a squirrel as she rounded the corner of one of the large, fearsome rocks that were common in the IceClan area, rising up from the jagged earth as if StarClan itself had reached down and shaped the land with its paws. "I'm a mentor now! This is so much fun, because I'm going to teach you a lot and you'll be the best warrior in all the Clans! Except for me, of course. I'm taking you inside The Silver, which is pretty much in the center of IceClan's territory, to learn how to catch a mouse! It's going to be so cool.

"Then I'm going to take you around the edges of our territory so that you can learn the other Clans' scents and what to watch out for. WaterClan smells a bit mildew-y, just so you know. Did you hear that WaterClan's leader has only four lives left? What in the name of StarClan happened to her? She was born at the same time as Snowstar and Smokestar, you know, and they aren't very old either. I also heard that Petalnose and Ripplepool might be getting together…"

Most of her comments were irrelevant, but some were interesting, like the info about his training schedule, and especially the dirt—ahem, gossip—on Streamstar. _The WaterClan leader was born at the same time as the other leaders? _Stormpaw wondered. _And she only has four lives left? _He wasn't sure how many lives Snowstar and Smokestar had, but he decided to file this information away in his head, just in case.

By now, they had arrived in the center of The Silver, and Bluetail concluded her prattle with: "And here we are, Stormpaw!" She looked very proud standing there, as if she would get the best prey in the fresh-kill pile for leading her newly appointed apprentice. Stormpaw briefly wondered if his mentor was somewhat crazy, but dismissed it. He was here to learn how to be the best warrior he could, and hopefully train to fight better than that aggravating Dawnkit, or Dawnpaw, probably, even if he didn't have the best mentor in the world. And so, he faced Bluetail with a _slightly_ more optimistic mood…until the she-cat opened her mouth.

"Okay! Here we go. First, let's pretend this branch is a mouse." Bluetail picked up a medium sized twig a few fox-lengths away from them and set it down in front of Stormpaw. "Then, what you do is, back away and jump!"

Stormpaw just stared at her. He wasn't sure if he had heard her right. "Back away…and jump?" he repeated incredulously.

"Uh-huh!"

"Wait, aren't you supposed to give me a more detailed explanation? How in the name of StarClan am I supposed to catch a real mouse if you won't even tell me anything else besides 'Back away and _jump_'?" He was getting mad now; he really wanted to learn, but it didn't seem like this she-cat was going to teach him anything worth knowing. It was only his second day of being an apprentice; after Snowstar had performed the apprentice ceremony for him and his siblings yesterday, Bluetail hadn't bothered taking him out for the first day of his apprenticing. Had Snowstar been stark raving mad when he'd made Bluetail a warrior?

Luckily, Bluetail seemed to be rethinking her instructions. "Well…I guess I wasn't exactly clear," she admitted. _Thank goodness_, Stormpaw thought. "When you jump, really push up your hind legs and don't touch any leaves or things that will alert your prey to you. If you're leaping over some grass, be sure to jump high enough so that your belly won't brush the top of the grass so that your prey won't hear you." Bluetail also showed him the IceClan hunting crouch.

Well, the instructions were at least a little clearer now. Stormpaw got into position, and then jumped. He had overshot, but he quickly turned around to try again, his enthusiasm—some of which had a reason that couldn't be considered commonplace, like training to be a better warrior than a certain annoying she-cat—was unhampered. After a few more tries, though, Stormpaw got the move, and he couldn't help but grin, proudly, at his mentor. He normally didn't show this much emotion, but he had gotten it!

"You did a really good job!" Bluetail cried. "No doubt you'll be catching prey soon. However, we're done with that for today, so let's move on to scenting the other Clans." The dark-gray apprentice nodded and followed his mentor through the boulder-littered land to the edge of the IceClan territory that bordered with WaterClan.

At the boundary, Bluetail stopped and instructed Stormpaw to "take a deep breath and focus on any smell that seemed different than the ones he was used to". Stormpaw followed her instructions, and let the air flow through his lungs. He smelled a rabbit—he would ask Bluetail if they could get that later—his sister Sorrelpaw's and her mentor Hailpelt's scents when they had been there earlier for the same purpose, and a strange watery, fishy odor, almost mildew-y, as Bluetail had described it.

"I think I smelled WaterClan," he told his mentor.

"Good job!" Bluetail said cheerfully. "Now you can always know when they're on our territory, so you can chase them away. Didn't I tell you those WaterClan cats smelled mildew-y? Let's go to FireClan's side now!"

Stormpaw had nodded in answer to Bluetail's question, but she didn't even see it as she started on a whole new line of gossip. "And I learned that Flowerstep in FireClan might be moving to elder's den in a few moons, and Robinfeather is going to have her kits shortly! Did you see her at the last Gathering? She looked very round. Wait, you couldn't have seen her, you were still a kit! I'm such a mousebrain. But since she looked very round then, she must be ready to give birth pretty soon.

"Oh, did you know that Maplestripe and Hailpelt don't like each other very much? They used to be best friends when I was still a kit but then something happened. I don't know what! I heard that prey is so plentiful on the WaterClan territory, those cats are getting fat over there!"

She went on and on, but it didn't matter, since Stormpaw wasn't listening much. Instead, he was thinking about when he would get to go to _his_ first Gathering. He'd been born when there was a quarter-moon, so he'd turned six moons after his sixth quarter moon had passed. Using his logic, he figured out that there would probably be a Gathering in the next few days. _And would I get to go?_ he cogitated. _I hope I do, but what if Dawnkit's there? She'll probably be Dawn_paw_ now, _he corrected himself, _since she's the same age as I am._ _But,_ Stormpaw continued, turning back to his original train of thought, _it'll be so annoying to see her there. If there wasn't a truce for the Gathering, there'd be no telling what will happen. _

As they passed by the IceClan camp, Stormpaw suddenly realized with a jolt that he was practically conversing with himself—and about an enemy she-cat from another Clan at that! What the heck was wrong with him? But before he could have too much time to dwell on that crazy realization, Bluetail announced with her usual enthusiasm that "We've arrived at the FireClan border!"

Stormpaw shook his head to clear his thoughts (there was no way in StarClan he was going to think about _her_ again) and stood at attention. Once again, Bluetail gave him the same instructions, and he followed them. This time, he found the unfamiliar scent quicker. Only it wasn't so unfamiliar. He smelled the tall mighty pines that his mother Leaftail had told him were scattered around the FireClan territory, the leafy bushes weighed down with various berries, and the strong oak trees reaching for the sky that IceClan didn't have. But he'd smelled it all before—on Dawnpaw's fur, when he'd first met her. _What? How am I thinking about her _again_? _he yowled angrily at himself.

Through the turmoil of his mind, he managed to calmly report to his blue-grey mentor, "I smelled FireClan."

Bluetail answered with around the same words that Stormpaw would soon realize was her usual response: "That's very good, Stormpaw! Learning your enemies' scents is always the first thing to do, and you've just learned it."

_Duh,_ Stormpaw thought. He was still annoyed that the golden she-cat had managed to sneak her way into his thoughts again. He resolved that this time, absolutely, he was _not_ thinking about her. And if he was, it would be to think up ways of how to get her out of his life.

To conclude his goal, Stormpaw listened to Bluetail talk all the way back to the IceClan camp, as to not think of certain things, or a certain someone. "We just finished your second day of apprentice training! It was so exciting. I know we didn't go out your first day but I figured you probably wanted some time to rest and still play with your siblings, plus I needed to groom my coat to perfection! While I was doing that I picked up some gossip about Dustfoot might like Blizzardrain. Their mothers were talking together, you know. Also, did you know…"

Bluetail's remarks were pretty boring, though this time Stormpaw was perfectly happy to listen to her. They soon reached the IceClan camp, where Bluetail continued her commentary. But once they passed through the large rock and bramble entryway, Bluetail announced to everyone loudly, "Guess what? I took Stormpaw out today and he did everything _perfectly_!"

Stormpaw stood, seething with mortification and anger as everyone in the camp—warriors, queens, and elders alike—glanced up to look at him. _StarClan definitely hates me_. Except then, his sister Sorrelpaw stood up and said, "Good job, Stormpaw!" The silence broken, the other cats gave their surprised congratulations, like "Very well done, Stormpaw and Bluetail", from Boulderheart, who was not known for giving compliments out and rather held them instead him like they were prey in a hard leaf-bare, while Stormpaw stood there, slightly surprised.

When all the cats had gone back to their normal activities, his brown tabby colored sister trotted up to him and cocked her head. Stormpaw knew what she was waiting for. "Thanks, Sorrelpaw," he said, but it wasn't sarcastic like his usual tone might be; to a certain extent, it was grateful.

Sorrelpaw purred. "Anytime, brother." Then she asked, "Want to get some fresh-kill? As Bluetail declared, you must deserve it for doing everything _perfectly_."

"Sure." As Stormpaw sat down contentedly with his two sisters (Frostypaw had joined them at the fresh-kill pile) and bit into his thrush, he thought, _Maybe Bluetail isn't so bad after all. Of course, tomorrow could always prove me wrong_.

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><p>Ah, Stormpaw and his cynical thinking. :D What did you guys think of Bluetail? For some reason I love her name. :) Anyway, in the chapter I tried to portray her as bright, bubbly, gossipy, yet actually sort of nice. I hope I succeeded! Just so you guys know, this chapter was set at the same time that Honeyleaf took Dawnpaw out training in the last chapter, so it's <em>both<em> their second day of training.

Quick question: What did you guys think of Stormpaw's feelings for Dawnpaw? Tell me in a review and what you thought of this chapter! Let's try to get up to 26 reviews for this story. ;) Next chapter will kind of be a surprise, not if you noticed the small hints.

~Ponyiowa


	10. Chapter 10: Robinfeather's Kitting

Yes, we got to 26 reviews! WOO! Thank you, guys. :D Now, down to business. I know I said I would do the Gathering in this chapter, but I changed my mind. It's in the next chapter, I promise! :) Now, I know some stories are rated T for kitting, but this one isn't bloody at all, and stuff like that. I tried to make it as smooth as possible. Not all queens' kittings are violent where she dies, you know! :P

Smurflover: Yes, of course they are! Thought I made that a tiny bit obvious, but yeah. :P

Mochikins: I fixed those, thanks! I love Bluetail too! :D

Tabbyfire: I fixed it. :) And yes, they will make a good couple! Just not yet. ;)

KodochaFan55: Yes, you finally reviewed! Don't forgot to review this one too! ;)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 10: Robinfeather's Kitting<span>

Dawnpaw trotted into camp proudly, her first squirrel dangling from her jaws. Her mentor Honeyleaf was just a few paces behind her, carrying two mice. _I got a squirrel! I got a squirrel! _Dawnpaw was chanting to herself in her head._ It's so big. And it's only my fourth day of training! I bet Stormpaw hasn't caught one like this yet! It's going to feed at least—Wait, where did that thought come from?_ Dawnpaw almost jerked to a stop in her surprise, but just managed to continue on to the fresh-kill pile. _Well, I bet he _hasn't_, _she reassured herself. _And besides, it's perfectly normal to have a rivalry in another Clan. Right?_

She reached the fresh-kill pile and was about to set down her squirrel when Honeyleaf's voice stopped her from behind. "Dawnpaw, why don't you take that to Robinfeather? It'd be good for her since it's almost time for her to kit. She'd be so happy to see it, especially since it's a big one."

Dawnpaw nodded, clenching the squirrel tighter in her jaws, a warm feeling in her chest because her mentor had complimented her on her squirrel. And Robinfeather _would_ be so happy to see it! She turned and headed toward the nursery.

The nursery was mostly dark inside, and as Dawnpaw entered, a breezy draft of air soothed her burning pelt, thanks to the late newleaf sun. Both the cool air and rush of happy memories made her relax and sigh, almost dropping her squirrel. _Oops! _

"Dawnpaw?" a voice called out. It was Robinfeather, lying curled up in the corner. "Is that you?"

"Yepm!" Dawnpaw managed to mumble through the piece of prey. She made her way to where the pregnant queen was lying and dropped it in front of Robinfeather. "It's a squirrel. I caught it myself," she added proudly.

Robinfeather purred. "Thanks, Dawnpaw. I was just getting a little peckish, and this one looks very big. Congratulations for catching it." Dawnpaw nodded in response, but Robinfeather was already leaning down to take a bite. Her duty done, the apprentice turned and headed toward the entrance.

Suddenly, Robinfeather jerked and cried out. Dawnpaw spun on her feet, fearing that somehow the squirrel was poisoned or it was crow-food, but the squirrel was untouched. Her questioning eyes met the queen's frantic ones, and the reddish tabby she-cat whispered hoarsely, "The kits. Th-they're coming…"

_Right now?_ Well, Robinfeather had been ready to give birth any day now, so it wasn't exactly a surprise, but she still felt extremely worried as she raced out of the nursery to fetch Sagetail. On the way, she bumped into Ashpool, who was coming to visit his mate. "Is Robinfeather—is she—" he choked out, eyes wide in surprise and fear.

Dawnpaw nodded, understanding his meaning, and the gray tom hurriedly dashed into the nursery. She quickly found Sagetail, who was casually sitting in his den and sorting herbs. "Sagetail! Robinfeather's kitting!" she told him hastily.

The orange tabby tom shot to his feet, spraying herbs into the air. He quickly gathered some borage, dandelion, and raspberry leaves, and sped out of the opening. _He must have done this lots of times before,_ Dawnpaw thought to herself as she tried to match his quick speed, but failed.

By the time Dawnpaw shot into the nursery, out of breath from the quick pace she'd had to run with, Sagetail had already pushed Ashpool out of the den and got to work. _Why does the nursery have to be across the medicine den?_ Dawnpaw lamented silently. It sure made things inconvenient. She also made a note to herself to ask Honeyleaf if they could work on speed training next time; she wasn't satisfied with her heaving chest from the run.

"Alright, breathe slowly," Sagetail was telling Robinfeather. "It's your second litter of kits, isn't it?" Robinfeather nodded, but she didn't look calm at all. Her flanks were contorting with every push, and she was panting.

"Breathe…breathe…" the medicine cat kept repeating, while Robinfeather nodded at every "Breathe". The other queen, Mousefoot, who had been sleeping in the corner before, now watched the event with wide eyes. Dawnpaw also observed all of this, excitedly, from the shadows of the nursery. Sagetail and Robinfeather seemed to have forgotten about her, which was good. _I want to see this!_

Finally, Robinfeather gave one more final push, and a small gray tabby kit came tumbling out. It was small and scrawny, and absolutely adorable. It opened its tiny pink mouth and gave a surprisingly loud yowl, despite its small lungs and having just been born. _Awww, it's so cute,_ Dawnpaw thought.

Sagetail inspected the gray kit. "She-cat," he declared, and nosed it into the warm curve of her mother's belly. The small gray scrap immediately latched on and began suckling with all her might. "One more to go, Robinfeather," Sagetail encouraged. "You're doing fine."

The queen only moaned in response, her flanks beginning to heave again. In a couple more minutes, a second kit popped out, this one a dark orangish-brown kit. Sagetail announced it a tom and placed him beside his sister. "You're done, Robinfeather," he said. "Here, eat these." Sagetail gave her the herbs, watched the new mother eat them, and then left with a "I'll check up on you later."

Dawnpaw didn't know much about herbs, but she did know one of them was called "borage", and used to make queens give better and more milk. _Sagetail's a good medicine cat,_ she thought.

Robinfeather had closed her eyes and looked very tired, so Dawnpaw decided to congratulate her on her successful kitting later, and walked out into the sunshine. She encountered an obstacle, however.

"Dawnpaw!" It was Ashpool, eager to know what had happened. "Sagetail wouldn't talk, because he said he had to finish organizing his herbs, but how is Robinfeather?"

"She's good," Dawnpaw replied. "A gray she-cat and a dark orangish-brown tom, but she hasn't named them yet." As Ashpool started to put a paw in the nursery, she added quickly, "I think she's falling asleep. You can probably visit her later." She was astounded about how medicine cat-like she sounded. _But I'm still training to become a warrior, so I can beat that annoying Stormpaw!_

The gray tom looked crestfallen for a second, and then settled himself back in his post by the nursery entrance. "Then I'll wait until she wakes up," he meowed.

Dawnpaw nodded to him and walked away to the fresh-kill pile. Willowpaw and Mistpaw were already there, just having gotten back from their training, but they had already heard about Robinfeather's kitting.

"Were you there? Was it cool?" Mistpaw asked.

"Yes, and yes," Dawnpaw replied. "There's a she-cat and tom, and they're so cute!"

"Cool," Willowpaw and Mistpaw breathed in unison.

They were picking out their prey when Smokestar suddenly shouted, "Cats of FireClan!" He leaped up onto the Firestone, Blossompetal and Sagetail at the bottom. _Sagetail must have told Smokestar about the kitting,_ Dawnpaw thought.

She was right. The smoky gray FireClan leader soon announced that "Robinfeather has just given birth. There is a she-kit and a tom. Congratulations to Robinfeather and Ashpool!" The cats cheered. Flamelight had told Dawnpaw once that kits were the life of the Clan; the new warriors. Without them, a Clan was dead. Dawnpaw agreed with this.

When the cheering had gone down, Smokestar opened his mouth to announce something else.

_Huh? What else could there be to say?_ Dawnpaw wondered.

"We'll be having our Gathering tomorrow night," Smokestar proclaimed. "Here are the cats that will be going. The warriors will be Nightpelt, Cherryfur, Flamelight, Rainfall, Rockfeather, and Honeyleaf…" He didn't list himself, Blossompetal, or Sagetail, as it went without saying that the leader, deputy, and medicine cat would always go.

Dawnpaw hoped desperately that she could come.

"Also, our new warriors, Scorchclaw, Graystep, Applefern, Rosepool, and Burnpelt, will come. And lastly, Dawnpaw, Mistpaw…" He went on, listing the rest of the new apprentices, but Dawnpaw wasn't listening anymore.

_Yes, I get to come!_

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><p>So there it is. I think I made it a bit rushed and made out Robinfeather's kitting to be a "big thing", but I think it's okay. As I told you, next chapter is the Gathering and Stormpaw and Dawnpaw will meet again! ;) Review, please! :D (Try to get to 30. ;) )<p>

~Ponyiowa


	11. Chapter 11: Gathering Time

Okay guys, I know this update was really slow, so sorry. :( On the other hand, thanks for reviewing to 30 reviews! :D This is the longest chapter _by far_. I almost hit 2000 words! :O Heads-up: I added two cats in IceClan to the allegiances: Dapplepaw and Owlpaw. Why? You'll see! ;) I also added the new kits' names into the second allegiances because I don't want to go to the trouble of doing a new one so quickly. In the first bit of this chapter, you learn a bit about the Clans and stuff, just so you know. Well, onto the story now. I don't want to keep you waiting. :P

Patronus1998: Ooh, you changed your name! Cool! :) I fixed those mistakes, and here is the chapter: where Dawnpaw and Stormpaw see each other, but don't talk! :D

Smurflover: Thanks! :) And it's funny that you said that I'm such a fast updater (usually I am) but this time I was_ really_ slow. In fact, I didn't start writing the chapter until Monday! :0 But whatever, it's here now. :D

The Goddess of Darkness: Well, here it is! Have fun reading it. :)

Tabbyfire: Yep, it does! Thanks for that! :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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><p>Chapter 11: Gathering Time<p>

A full moon shone bright on the night that the warrior cats called the Gathering. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a Gathering. Or maybe there would have been, seeing that there usually _was_ a full moon every moon and that's when the Clans had their Gathering.

Stormpaw randomly pondered this in his mind. Usually the Clans stopped their Gathering once all their news had been announced and taken care of, or StarClan showed their disapproval of the temporary truce by sending a cloud to cover the moon. But if a cloud already covered the moon on the night of the Gathering, would there be one at all?

His thoughts stopped when they reached the large clearing that the Gathering was always situated in. Bluetail, who traveled beside him on his right, had told him before that the Gathering was always held in a large clearing of trees, in the center where all the Clan territories met. The barrier of woodland was perhaps 10 fox-lengths wide, from the first cropping up of trees to the clearing.

Leaders would sit in the branches of an enormous, red, old oak tree in the middle of the clearing, the only thing that disrupted the flat land. The oldest leader would sit on the highest branch, with the youngest on the lowest. Deputies and medicine cats were positioned on the large roots and sharp stones that lined the bottom of the tree. A small moat of water ran around the oak.

Bluetail had also informed him about the warrior code, and interesting things to know about the Clans, yesterday on his seventh day of training. You could be friends with other cats from other Clans (_No chance of that with Dawnpaw,_ Stormpaw had thought), but in fights you had to defend your own Clan, even against your other Clan friends; the Clan must be fed first; blah blah blah. There had been some interesting things though. For instance, since there were three Clans, two Clans couldn't gang up on another Clan and eradicate it.

Also, each Clan territory had a very different climate. IceClan's territory was shrouded in a permanent state of permafrost. Stormpaw knew that was true; he had woken up many times in the apprentice den, due to shivering and freezing temperatures. But oddly enough, FireClan's territory was warm and lush, and during greenleaf it was particularly humid.

WaterClan's territory was windy and marshy, with rain showers usually once a half moon, even in leafbare. The climates maintained their temperatures well enough, though, that prey would run as usual and cats could live without freezing of cold, dying of heat, or drowning in the rain.

"Stormpaw? Stormpaw!" A dappled brown paw bumped his side.

"What? Oh, hi, Dapplepaw! I didn't see you there," Stormpaw said, breaking away from his review of Bluetail's lectures.

"Oh, yeah? I've been trying to get your attention for three minutes now," the spotted brown she-cat said dryly.

Stormpaw opened his mouth to give an excuse—would "he'd been watching the other Clans come" work?—but Dapplepaw added forgivingly, "It's okay. I was just going to say that all the Clans are now here. And the Gathering's almost starting!" She settled herself beside him and fixed her eyes upon the large red oak tree that all the leaders were seated in.

He closed his mouth. _Well, okay then._ But something disturbed Stormpaw. Why was Dapplepaw sitting next to him? Why was she even talking to him? She'd been awfully friendly for the past few days. _Maybe she's just being nice,_ Stormpaw reasoned with himself.

Noticing that Dapplepaw's brother, Owlpaw, and his own sisters Frostypaw and Sorrelpaw were seated close to him, his doubt was eased. There was no reason that cats couldn't be nice to him and want to sit next to him. He was, after all, Stormpaw, who was learning to be the best warrior in the Clans!

Bluetail would often forget that she had an apprentice along and would launch into entire streams of gossip, but with a reminder, she would get back on track. And he'd already caught a nice fat squirrel on his third day of training! Stormpaw smirked as he remembered that he'd thought,_ I bet Dawnpaw didn't catch anything this big!_

_She probably hadn't anyway,_ he scoffed. But, where was Dawnpaw, anyway? He felt strangely curious. Before Stormpaw could stop himself, he was scanning the clearing, looking for the golden she-cat. _You always need to know where your enemies are,_ he reassured himself. There she was!

The golden she-cat was sitting on the far side of the clearing across from him, mostly with FireClan cats. A gray she-cat was on her right side, probably her sister, and on her left, she was conversing with a familiar-looking dark brown tom with white streaks on his pelt.

Stormpaw watched as the tom said something to Dawnpaw, accompanied with paw gestures. It must have been very funny, because the she-cat burst out laughing. But at this, he unexpectedly felt a strange emotion. Was that…jealousy? _No way,_ he thought to himself. _You're just nervous because it's your first Gathering. How could you be jealous of _her_?_

As if she'd somehow heard him thinking about her, Dawnpaw suddenly looked up to stare straight across the clearing at him. In Stormpaw's hurry to pretend that he hadn't been watching her for the past few minutes, he whipped his head to the side so hard that he accidentally bumped Dapplepaw's shoulder.

"Hey!" she hissed, looking ruffled.

"Sorry," he muttered, but apparently it hadn't been that much of a deal to the she-cat, who was already looking back at the towering red oak. _Is she a leader-stalker or something? _Stormpaw idly speculated to himself, just for amusement. _And when _is_ the Gathering starting?_ Just as he formed that thought, he heard Streamstar's clear voice ringing out across the clearing of assembled cats. "I, Streamstar, leader of WaterClan, am pleased to announce that life has been going well for our Clan. We have 4 new warriors: Splashnose, Lakeberry…"

All of the cats chanted the new warriors' names, and Stormpaw cheered too, though it was desultory. He still felt off-balance from when Dawnpaw had abruptly gazed at him. He carefully craned his neck, just slightly, to see if she was still looking at him. With a sigh of relief, he noted that the she-cat was now chanting the new WaterClan warriors' names along with every other cat in the clearing.

_But what was that?_ Stormpaw brooded. _Why did she suddenly just look up from me, straight across the clearing? There was no way that she could have noticed that I was looking at her….and _why _am I even thinking about that?_ Annoyed to have caught himself thinking about Dawnpaw—again—and to get his mind off of that, he took up the Clan cats' chant of the new WaterClan apprentices: Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw or something.

But in the back of his mind, he still wondered.

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><p>"…Okay, so on my fourth day of training, my mentor Rockfeather—he's really cool, you know—took me out to walk around the borders and sort of patrol, to make sure there were no other cats trespassing on our territory," Emberpaw was saying. "So we were on the IceClan side, and then we saw that dark gray tom, Stormpaw, the one you told me about—the annoying one that you faced the fox with—with this blue-gray she-cat, his mentor probably.<p>

"And, instead of teaching him things that a normal mentor would teach their apprentice, she was going on and on about how Brightmist was going to have her _fourth_ litter of kits, and how all the WaterClan cats were so plump from all the fish they were eating. Even funnier, Stormpaw had this embarrassed expression on his face, like _Oh no, what if anyone sees me?_ And then his mentor and him looked up and saw us, and he was like, "NO! All my pride and dignity are gone!" He pantomimed a scared looking cat, dark brown paws flailing in the air.

Dawnpaw doubled over laughing. "Priceless…" she choked out, and not just because she had an extreme dislike of Stormpaw. It would have made any cat laugh. "I wish I could have seen that," she remarked once she had caught her breath, shoulders still shaking with mirth.

The satisfied tom opened his mouth to say to his one-cat audience, "Well, it was pretty—" but Dawnpaw wasn't listening anymore. Something prickled at her pelt, making her feel uncomfortable…like someone was staring at her. Her head shot up, and her gaze fixed on the very cat they had been talking about—Stormpaw.

Strangely enough, at that second, his head was twisting around sharply, bumping the she-cat next to him.

As if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have.

Dawnpaw watched as the annoyed she-cat spat at Stormpaw, who muttered some words back—a half-hearted apology, probably—and then seemed to be deep in thought about something. Before she could have too much time to think about why he seemed to have been staring at her, the Gathering began and Streamstar began announcing her news, also saving her from Emberpaw's questioning look.

She repeated the new WaterClan warriors' names and apprentices' names along with everyone else, and then it was Snowstar's turn. "StarClan has treated us well this newleaf," he meowed. "And I am proud to report that IceClan has three new warriors: Blizzardrain, Dustfoot, and Bouncespirit. Darkclaw has also received his medicine cat name, although he is still an apprentice."

"Blizzardrain! Dustfoot! Bouncespirit! Darkclaw!"

"I am also pleased to say that IceClan has five new apprentices: Owlpaw, Dapplepaw, Sorrelpaw, Frostypaw, and Stormpaw," the snow-white leader continued. The Clans also cheered the new IceClan apprentices' names.

"Owlpaw! Dapplepaw! Sorrelpaw! Frostypaw!" Dawnpaw called out with the rest of the cats. She hesitated before Stormpaw's name, but knew that it wouldn't make a difference if she said it or not. No one would hear if she did say it over the noise of all the voices. But she cheered it too. "Stormpaw!"

Snowstar finished his report of his Clan, and sat back down on his tree branch that was level to the other two leaders' branches, blue eyes blinking in satisfaction. None of the occupied tree branches were higher than the two others.

FireClan's leader stood up to give his news. "This newleaf has been satisfying for FireClan as well," Smokestar meowed. "We have five new warriors: Scorchclaw, Graystep, Applefern, Rosepool, and Burnpelt. We also have two new kits: Cinderkit and Brackenkit." He paused as the Clan cats shouted their names. "In addition, I am happy to say that we have five new apprentices: Swiftpaw, Willowpaw, Emberpaw, Mistpaw, and Dawnpaw."

Dawnpaw felt a swell of pride as she heard the Clans cheering her name. However, she couldn't help risking a glance at Stormpaw. Was he joining in the chant? She felt oddly reassured when she saw that indeed, he was shouting the names along with everyone else. _What does it matter to you if he chants your-the apprentice's names? _she reprimanded herself.

When the cheers died down, Smokestar concluded his news with, "Prey is running well and we are thankful to StarClan." With a glance at the other leaders, who seemed to give a silent consent, he added, "This Gathering is now over."

He made to jump down from the oak, with Snowstar and Streamstar getting up to follow suit. The Clan cats starting to mill around, waiting for their leaders to precede them back to their territory, but all movement stopped when a clear and surprisingly loud voice rang out across the clearing.

"No, I believe it isn't."

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><p>Woo, a cliffie! *grins evilly* Who could the mysterious voice be? Hmm... You'll find out in the next chapter! :D Along with the "journey" that I talk about in the summary, that you guys must be wondering "When the heck is that going to happen?" by now. Everyone who reviews gets an invisible grumpy-looking Stormpaw plushie! Yay! :D So review, please!<p>

~Ponyiowa


	12. Chapter 12: The Stranger's Proposal

Hey, guys, I'm _so_ so sorry that I didn't update for two weeks, but I was busy because of Thanksgiving and then going back to school, and all that stuff. And it was my dad's birthday on Monday. :) Anyway, enjoy!

Raining Hikari: I'll correct that, I promise! :)

Smurflover: Nope, I made the characters up all by myself. :D

Ranger Lauren: If you mean by having Dawnpaw use him as a mental target for her training, or the general story, yes, I do torture him! *evil grin* ;D

Rowanheart and Sunray: Thanks! :D

Spottedfire98: Thank you! And here is the chapter. :)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 12: The Stranger's Proposal<span>

There were a few sharp intakes of breath, but then silence reigned in the air, thick enough that you could slice a claw through it. A hush fell over the Gathering, broken only by the hooting of a lone owl. Then slowly, heads turned to see who the mysterious speaker was. Dawnpaw carefully craned her neck as well.

A gray-and-white patched she-cat stood proudly near Dawnpaw's general area, tail erect in the air. Her sleek fur gleamed in the moonlight, split by a jagged scar down her left side. Even though Dawnpaw had no idea who and why the she-cat was there and if her purpose was to hurt them, she admired the fact that the cat stood strong even as the gaze of many cats focused on her.

The boldest leader, Snowstar, was first to speak, his loud voice reverberating around the clearing. "Who are you, and why are you here? You are disturbing a Gathering."

"If I am not wrong, I believe that your cats were just getting ready to leave," the mysterious she-cat replied smoothly. Snowstar's hackles rose at this, and he opened his mouth again—probably to command all the IceClan cats to kill this insolent stranger—but Streamstar cut in.

"Again, who are you, and what is your purpose? I'm afraid that if you're just an impudent rogue that managed to find its way on our territory, we're going to have to make you leave." The white-furred leader managed to look apologetic as she delivered her words.

The she-cat paused, something flickering across her strangely bi-colored eyes—one blue, one green—and then shook her head. "No," she said. "I am not a rogue. Nor a loner." Before Streamstar could question further, she pressed on. "As for why I am here…I have news."

Smokestar sat down and cocked his head, the last one to speak. "So, you snuck through our territories, arrived here, and interrupted a Gathering—just to tell us news?" He made it sound as if the she-cat had done it all for the mere purpose of fun.

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that," the stranger meowed remorsefully. "It's serious news—a large group of cats is planning to attack your Clans." A few exclamations of "Ha! We can beat that!" and the like, rose up from the cats, but Dawnpaw was busy thinking. _She knows that we're called Clans—not just any old big number of cats. Could she have heard it from a passing loner?_

"Go on," Streamstar encouraged when the cries had gone down.

"It's not just a bunch of rebelling kittypets," the gray-and-white she-cat continued on, inciting sniggers from some of the cats. "Every rogue, every loner, and yes, even a few kittypets—that you have angered, chased away, or kept prey from, will be facing you down, under the leadership of a cat named Scar. Your opponents almost outnumber StarClan, and the battle will be hard."

_She…knows about StarClan? Who is this cat? _Apparently many other Clan cats were thinking this, and their confusion was mirrored on their faces.

"A cat named Scar, huh? Who's planning to attack us with a bunch of rogues and loners and _kittypets_, right?" Snowstar said in a taunting voice. He didn't look like he was taking the news very well, and was resorting to denial and scorn.

The intruder sighed. "I figured that you might resist." The remark was specifically aimed at the snow-white leader.

_Yet another clue—and mystery—about who this cat is_, Dawnpaw thought. Streamstar, though, seemed to be considering it.

"Scar? I don't believe I've heard of her," Streamstar questioned. The scarred she-cat shook her head again.

"She's…very secretive about her work. The only reason that I came to hear about is that…that one of my friends joined up." She stumbled over a few of her words.

"I don't think we should trust her," Coldbreeze put in from his post at the bottom of the oak. Several other warriors voiced their agreement, but the she-cat's resolve didn't seem to waver.

"I know that you are suspicious of me, but it is true," the stranger said. Her gray-and-white tail flicked back and forth as the leaders considered her words.

Smokestar curled his tail over his paws. "Well, if we're in so much danger from this Scar you speak of, and her cats, I assume you also have a plan?"

The she-cat dipped her head. "Yes, I do. You must infiltrate her camp." Surprised murmurs rose up from the Clans, but the she-cat wasn't done. "You must each pick two of your apprentices from each Clan for this job—one tom, one she-cat—and specifically ones that aren't related."

_Yet another Clan word that this stranger knows. And she is suggesting that each Clan pick two apprentices? _Dawnpaw mused. _But why not warriors? They would be much better, and if Scar and her followers are as massive in number and powerful as they seem, how could apprentices do the job better than warriors could? And…could I be picked to go?" _

"Apprentices?" a WaterClan cat, Brooktail, questioned doubtfully. "They wouldn't be able to do the job well enough. And they've only been in training for a few sunrises!"

"This cat is just trying to kill off our apprentices, who are our future warriors!" Nightpelt called out. "I'll bet she has a whole bunch of cats following her, and when our apprentices go off and get themselves lost and killed, she'll come in and attack us!"

Dawnpaw bristled. _Excuse me? I may have only been an apprentice for a few days, but I can defend my Clan, thank you very much!_ She felt like clawing Brooktail's and Nightpelt's fur out, though it wasn't a very warrior-like thing to do.

The argument was still going on. Streamstar was in complete favor of trusting the mysterious she-cat and going along with her plan, while Smokestar was hesitant to send two of his apprentices to a group of bloodthirsty cats who might even not exist. And Snowstar was completely against it, spitting out curses against the stranger.

_Well, infiltrating a cat named Scar's camp sounds interesting,_ Dawnpaw thought while watching the Clan leaders whisper fervently. Snowstar was clearly agitated, pacing his branch back and forth until he stepped too close to the end, and had to backpedal to keep from falling off. A few snickers from WaterClan and FireClan rose. _It'd be cool if I could go._

The leaders discussed it for a while, with opinions and thoughts from the senior warriors, deputies, and medicine cats. Finally, Streamstar stood up from her lying position on her branch.

"We have conferred and have agreed that we will each send two apprentices." From the looks of it, though, Smokestar and Streamstar had agreed on it, and then overpowered Snowstar—the large white leader was sulking on his branch, long thick tail flicking irritably now and then. "The medicine cats believe that you are indeed speaking true about your cause, and we have taken that into account." She nodded at Sagetail and two other cats, a brown she-cat with a thick-looking pelt and a reddish tom with white paws, who were sitting at the base of the oak.

Smokestar stood up. "We will adjourn this Gathering and decide our chosen apprentices by the next full moon. At the next Gathering, we will announce our cats." He sat back down, but the gray-and-white she-cat was already shaking her head.

"Scar will strike, and she will strike _soon_. I'm afraid that you must choose your cats now." Immediately, mutterings rose up from the assorted cats about "how impudent the she-cat was" and how "apprentices wouldn't do the job right anyway, so who cared how long it took to pick them?" It seemed that quite a few warriors were happy to express what they thought about this cat and her plan.

"I see," Streamstar said, looking thoughtful. She looked at Smokestar, who shrugged and then nodded. Smokestar merely sulked some more and said nothing. He was a leader who was used to charging into battles and arguments, and then winning them. However, he couldn't do anything against two other position-equal cats, and at a peaceful Gathering too.

"We will consult with each other about which cats to take," Streamstar announced. She then leapt from her branch to Smokestar's, this decision apparently important enough to discuss more quietly than other matters. Snowstar looked grumpy, and then he too padded from his branch to Smokestar's. The bough dipped under all three cats' weight, but didn't crack.

Finally, after a time that seemed like twelve whole moons had gone by, the two white-pelted leaders had stepped back to their respective positions, and Streamstar had stood up to speak.

"We have decided which apprentices will be going to infiltrate Scar's camp," she declared. Excited murmurs and a rush of apprehension and anxiety swept through the clearing at her words. "First, from WaterClan, since we have no other apprentices: Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw." The WaterClan warriors cheered, just as they would at any apprentice ceremony.

Smokestar, the leader of FireClan, stood up. "I have decided that these two apprentices will go." He paused, and then announced: "Emberpaw and Dawnpaw!" The FireClan cats shouted approval.

_Smokestar said my name! Then I'm chosen for this infiltration, _Dawnpaw thought happily. _Emberpaw's not a half-bad choice either. _She looked over at the named tom, who looked very proud and pleased with himself to be picked. Evidently, he was satisfied with his leader's decision, too.

The last leader to announce his apprentices, Snowstar, stood up with an obvious expression of reluctance on his face. He took a deep breath, sweeping his gaze over the assembled cats. He was obviously making a split-second decision. "The apprentices I have chosen that will be going are Dapplepaw...and Stormpaw."

_Wait, what?_

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><p>So, how do you like that? I bet you had no idea who the mysterious she-cat was, didn't you? And you're not even going to find out her name until the next chapter! :P Did you see the last one coming? You probably did, 'cause the stranger cat was talking about a "journey and infiltration", but yeah.<p>

_STOP. YOU MUST PUT IN ONE REVIEW FOR THIS CHAPTER AS A TOLL. ONCE YOU HAVE SUBMITTED IT, YOU MAY CONTINUE ON YOUR ROAD TRIP (a.k.a., the rest of the story)._

;)

~Ponyiowa


	13. Chapter 13: Failures and Memories

Hey, everyone! Here is Chapter 13! Part of it is from a different P.O.V that you've never seen before, so I hope you enjoy that part! :) (Isn't this such a quick update? Much better than the two weeks it took me to put up Chapter 12, no? :P)

Flamestar456: Thank you! :D And it_ is_ pretty cool that you're using your 3DS! :D

Raining Hikari: Yeah, we are getting somewhere. :P It was a bit slow, I admit, and putting in the birth of Cinderkit and Brackenkit made it slower, but whatever. :P I changed those mistakes, thank you for pointing them out! :)

Spottedfire98: Thanks! :D And yes, you did use a few exclamation marks. I love using emoticons. :D ;)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 13: Failures and Memories<span>

_"…The apprentices I have chosen that will be going are Dapplepaw…and Stormpaw…." _Stormpaw stood still, the words echoing around his head. Snowstar had picked _him_ to go! But he couldn't. Dawnpaw was going on the journey, too!

_We'd probably end up scratching each other's eyes out_, he thought grimly. But it wasn't like he could tell his leader that. _Yeah, I'll just go up to him and say, 'Snowstar, I am honored to be picked—but I can't go, since a cat I don't like is on this trip…I'm sure you can pick another cat! Just use the same method you did before—eenie meenie miney moe, right?_

But beside him, Dapplepaw seemed to be in a very different frame-of-mind. "This is so exciting, we're picked to go! Isn't it, Stormpaw?" She seemed to be waiting for an answer, so he gave her one.

"Yes, I'm quite sure," he said in a monotone that didn't differ greatly from the voice that he really felt like using. The she-cat's exuberant expression fell for a second, but then reappeared. "We're only apprentices, and we're going on an adventure! I could tell this story when I'm an elder!"

_Shut. Up_, Stormpaw thought. _At least Dawnpaw doesn't waste her breath on meaningless exclamations_…Wait, what?

While Stormpaw had been in a frenzy about how he absolutely, definitely couldn't go, Streamstar had stood up. "We have chosen our cats. What is next?" But Snowstar hadn't been finished.

"I may have cooperated and picked my apprentices, but that doesn't mean I'm happy with it." His blue eyes glared out across the clearing. "Watch out in the next moon…or else you might get surprised." He was making a threat, challenging anyone for battle. Needless to say, every cat stayed silent.

Streamstar cleared her throat. "We will remember that, Snowstar, thank you." Stormpaw thought that he heard that slightest hint of sarcasm in the leader's voice, and apparently Snowstar thought so too, for he growled at Streamstar before finally sitting down.

The green-eyed leader hadn't even flinched. "As I was saying, what is next?" she repeated.

"You will train your chosen apprentices for the next moon," the gray-and-white she-cat said. "Then bring them to me, here, at sun-high on the day you usually have your Gathering. I will help guide them to Scar's camp." Streamstar nodded. This time, there were no yowls of "How do we know we can trust you?"

"Thank you for listening to me," the mysterious she-cat said. "I'll be here waiting in a moon." She was almost gone into the trees when Streamstar shouted, "Wait! You still haven't told us your name. We will need something to call you by."

The scarred cat turned, her face half hidden by shadows. "I was once called a name…but it is now lost to me. You may call me Mist."

And then she was gone.

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><p>After the she-cat had gone, a silence stretched over the Gathering for a few seconds. Then it all broke out into chaos.<p>

Cats were announcing what their opinion was, warriors were declaring that they should just go and kill Scar and her cats, no big problem, and soon-to-be queens that had not yet moved into the nursery were worried about their unborn kits, with their mates comforting them at their sides.

And Dawnpaw was just thinking up a way to get out of going with Stormpaw on the journey.

_Hmm…what should I do? _she wondered. _Should I say to Smokestar that I don't want to go 'cause one of the other cats annoys me? No, he would laugh at that. What about…_ None of the things she thought of would work. Then she hit upon an idea: acting the part of a worried Clanmate. _That's it!_

She dashed over to Smokestar, who had just climbed down the tree. "Smokestar?"

"Yes, Dawnpaw? Do you have something to say about the infiltration?"

"No. Well, yes. Kind of. I just wanted to say that the thing about us being apprentices…we'd probably mess it up. Warriors would be a much better choice. Don't you think that it's strange that she asked for apprentices, and ones that aren't related?" Dawnpaw hoped that her leader didn't think that she was being too questioning.

Smokestar tilted his head, looking like a wise and thoughtful leader. "Well, yes," he said. "But Streamstar and I think that we can trust her, and if it helps save our Clans from this Scar, then we'll do it."

"But what about Snowstar?"

Her leader's amber eyes flashed, and Dawnpaw took a step back, knowing she'd probably gone over the line. "We'll deal with him when it comes to the time we have to," Smokestar meowed coolly. "Now come on. It's time to go back to the FireClan camp."

He walked off, tail crooked over his back as a sign to "Follow me", and Dawnpaw knew that she was dismissed. She swallowed her desperate "But, Smokestar—" She hadn't even gotten to ask if she could be dismissed from the journey.

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><p>Night had fallen. The moon had risen high in the sky. But Streamstar was still awake.<p>

She lay flat on her belly, eyes cracked open against the moonlight that streamed into her den. Beside her, her mate Sedgefur was curled up, snoring. She smiled, listening to the soothing sound of him breathing in and out…in and out.

Apart from that, there was no other sound. All other WaterClan warriors and cats had fallen asleep a long while ago. Then why was she, the leader of WaterClan, still awake?

Streamstar sighed; a whisper of sound that as soon entered the word was as soon carried away by the air. She knew the reason she couldn't sleep. The reason she was still up awake at moonhigh. The reason her thoughts had been in turmoil since she'd led her Clan back to the camp.

Who was the she-cat?

_She seemed so familiar, yet mysterious,_ Streamstar thought. _And with a scar like that running down her side…I couldn't have met her and forgotten her…could I? _The white-furred leader slowly got to her feet, careful not to disturb the sleeping tom at her side, and padded to the mouth of the den.

As her green eyes turned to the silver moon, a swirl of memories spun in her mind. A gentle pure-white she-cat with soft paws and amber eyes…a black-furred tom with harsh words and cold green eyes. Another she-cat, this one gray, who seemed to be close to the white-she-cat, with a playful aura and laughing blue eyes.

The sky seemed to fade away, and the moon appeared to dim… "Come here, Stream." The voice seemed to appear from nowhere, but it was warm and comforting, and Streamstar was not afraid. She moved to stand up and walk toward the voice, but found that she couldn't. She couldn't move at all.

Then a small she-kit toddled into her sight. A white, fluffy furball, with bright green eyes, looking barely a quarter moon old. "Mama?" the kit mewed in a tiny, quavering voice.

"Yes, Stream. Come here." The she-kit took a few faltering steps, while the gentle voice coaxed her to keep on going. "That's right. Keep on moving those paws. _Good _job."

Streamstar's vision shifted, and suddenly she was looking at the she-kit, only from farther away. Now she could see where she was at: a small, round cave, the walls stone and dripping with water. Moonlight spilled in from the entrance to her right.

She could also see who had been speaking: a pure-white she-cat with soft-looking fur and warm amber eyes, lying against the far cave wall. "You're almost there. Keep going."

The she-kit took a few more tottering steps, then tripped over her own paws and fell. "Ooof!" she squeaked.

"It's okay, honey, you made it. Good job, Stream." The white she-cat reached out and lightly grasped the kit's ruff, sliding it to her side. "Where are Smoke and Snow?"

"They're coming, Mama," the she-kit said, snuggling into her mother's fur. "They were still play-fighting when I left."

The she-cat purred. "Did you see who was losing?"

"Snow, I think, but don't tell him I said so. He was awfully angry that Smoke was beating him."

"One day he'll learn that winning isn't everything," the she-cat said. "Until then, we'll just have to put up with him."

"Mama!" the kit said in a reprimanding tone, but then they both laughed. The sound was shortly cut off by the sound of approaching pawsteps. Whoever was coming was something that they both feared.

A dark head poked into the entrance. "Keep it down, Ice. I'm trying to sleep, and you know I still have Mist."

With narrowed amber eyes, Ice nodded, but added, "I don't know what I ever saw in you, Fire. All you are is a mangy crowfood-eater."

The black tom hissed, evidently named for his personality but not his pelt. "I would be careful if I were you. I'm not happy with what you've been saying."

"What would I be saying?" Ice answered back defiantly. "Do you think I'm telling pieces of fresh-kill before I eat them, that the tom who killed them is a filthy foxheart? All I'm doing is nursing these kits—_your _kits!" Sadness crept into her eyes for a heartbeat, then vanished. "And you're frightening your daughter! Do you even know her name?"

"No, because you didn't even bother to tell me," Fire said scornfully.

"No, it's because you didn't even bother to stop by and look at your new kits after they were born, just to leave scrawny pieces of prey at the entrance!"

"Well, do you want me to stop leaving you prey and let you starve?" the tom challenged.

"No, because I have to care for my kits, since you won't care for them at all." There was suddenly a noise at the mouth of the cave, and two tom-kits popped in and rushed to Ice's side. Fire growled in annoyance. "Tell him to go away, Mama," the gray one meowed, white streaks running along his pelt. He lifted up his head to gaze amber eyes at the tom. "I don't like him."

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><p>Sorry to end it there, but the chapter was getting too long. I promise that I'll update soon and then you can see what will happen with Ice, Fire, Stream, Snow, Smoke, and Mist! Quite a mouthful, huh? :P I wasn't quite sure what else to name the she-cat, so I just called her Mist. How did you like it in Streamstar's P.O.V.? Tell me in a review! ;) (That means, review, review, review. :P)<p>

~Ponyiowa


	14. Chapter 14: Flashbacks and Dark Sides

Hello! Sorry I haven't updated, but I think you'll find this chapter interesting. :) A request: please check out Cinderpelt11's fanfic: _Greystripe's Diary_. It's pretty funny. :D

Zebra Knitted: I'll fix those, thanks! :)

Smurflover: Thank you for your opinion, and as you are part of the only ones (I agree with Zebra Knitted-it does fit :)) who replied to that point, Mistpaw shall remain Mistpaw. :)

Spottedfire98: Yes, you have succeeded in making a lot of exclamation marks! :P And here is the next chapter. :)

La'a: Aww, thanks! :D Very interesting question...I do believe you're the first one to pick up on that. But here's my answer: No comment. I have to keep it mysterious, no? ;)

Bubbletail: Cool name! :) In answer to your question, here's the chapter! *points* :D I usually update from 3-6 days, unless I don't have much time or inspiration. As for the names, I'll try to use the prefixes of the names for Scar's cats since I'm not really sure where I can put the names in here. Thanks, though! :)

Cinderpelt11: Thanks! :D

Kyoko C. Seiko: Thank you! :)

Whoa, that took a long time, didn't it? So many reviews! Thank you, guys! :D *gives out invisible Dawnpaw plushies*

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 14: Flashbacks and Dark Sides<span>

The black tom laughed, a sneering sound made by those who know they are more powerful than others, and embrace it. "You don't like me? _You don't like me_? You little ignorant kit, do you even know who I am?"

The white tom-kit popped up, gaining courage from his mother by his side. "No, and I don't want to know either," he mewed bravely. Ice hushed him, drawing her feathery tail over his legs and curling him against her side.

"I am your father."

Fire sneered with satisfaction as he watched the three kits immediately turn to their mother with questioning looks in their large, innocent eyes. No, this tom couldn't be their father! He was too loud! He was too big. He was too mean.

Ice sighed. "Kits, this is your father. Fire." Her amber eyes looked regretful and hard at the same time.

"You're not my father," the same defiant kit declared, escaping from her tail, to which Fire laughed again.

"Indeed I am. In fact, one of the positions of a father is to make sure that his kits are behaving. But you don't seem to be listening. I think you might need to be taught a lesson." He took a step toward the white tom-kit, who squeaked with fear and dove back under his mother's tail. The tips of his little ears could just be seen out above Ice's fluffy white tail.

"Fire! I will not have you intimidating our kits. Go back to your den this instant." Ice's fur was fluffed up and her eyes were blazing. "_Go_."

"Alright, alright. I presume that Mist has been missing me already." With a smirk that said, _"You got off easy this time"_, the black-pelted tom turned tail and left. As soon as he was gone, the white tom-kit sat up.

"Good, he's gone. He wasn't very nice." Stream and the gray tom-kit nodded in agreement.

Ice licked the top of the tom-kit's head comfortingly. "Yes, Snow, he wasn't very nice."

"How is he our father?" the gray tom-kit demanded.

His mother sighed. "I honestly don't know, Smoke. He just seemed nice when I met him…and then he turned like this." She looked thoughtful.

Stream, who hadn't said anything so far, piped up. "Mama, who's Mist?"

"She's your sister."

"Then why isn't she sleeping with us?" Smoke inquired curiously, cocking his head.

"Because Fire wants her in his den. He claims that he wants at least one of his kits with him. I think it's because he wants to have Mist follow him when she grows up—to become like him," Ice answered.

"Well, when can she sleep with us?" Snow asked.

"I'm not sure," said Ice, moving on to smoothing the kit's chest fur.

"If Fire won't let her sleep with us, then we'll go sleep with her," Stream announced importantly, leaping to her feet.

Ice gently applied pressure to Stream's back with her tail, forcing her to sit down again. "No, honey. Fire won't like that. You'll just have to stay with me tonight."

Stream sighed and snuggled into her mother's belly fur. A muffled "For now" could be heard. There was a sound of pawsteps, and all three kits' heads peeked over their mother's tail to see if Fire was coming again. But instead, a friendly looking gray she-cat poked her head into the mouth of the cave. "Could I join you, Ice?"

"Sure, Water," Ice meowed.

The she-cat, Water, padded inside the cave and settled herself in a corner, flipping her tail over her paws. "Wow, are those your kits?"

"Yes," Ice meowed proudly. She licked Stream lovingly on her head. "It's already been past their bedtime, so I'm trying to get them to go to sleep."

Immediately, Snow's head popped up. "I'm Snow!" he declared.

"I'm Smoke," the tom-kit announced.

"I'm Stream," the white she-kit told Water.

The gray she-cat purred, and her blue eyes lit up. "Is that so? Well, I'm Water, and I'm your aunt."

"Really? Cool!" The three kits scampered over to Water's side, peering up at her with their different colored eyes—one pair of amber eyes, one pair of blue eyes, and one pair of green eyes.

Stream studied Water. "I like you," she decided. "You're not like our father at all."

"That's good," the gray she-cat said encouragingly. "I'm your mother's sister."

"Do we have any more aunts?" Smoke asked inquisitively.

Water laughed. "No, I'm afraid you're stuck with just me and Ice."

Snow opened his mouth to ask a question, but Ice said, "It's time to go to sleep. Come here, kits." The three kits let out a collective "Awww" but dashed back to their mother's side.

"Good night, kits," Water meowed. "It was nice meeting you."

A chorus of "Good night, Water!" rose up before their mother shushed them. "Close your eyes. Good night, kits." Streamstar's vision suddenly faded to black.

Then the sky seemed to become more vivid and dazzling, colors spreading back across the inky palate, and the moon brightened.

"Streamstar? Streamstar!"

Someone was talking to her. The white-furred leader slowly opened her eyes to look at her mate Sedgefur. "Streamstar!"

"Yes?" She felt oddly sleepy and tired.

Sedgefur looked worried. "I woke up to find you sitting at the edge of the den, and I couldn't seem to wake you until right now. Are you okay?"

The white she-cat swallowed. "Er…yes." There was nothing else to say of the unusual vision, and she didn't want to unsettle Sedgefur.

Her mate's eyes softened. "Alright, then." He nudged her gently to her feet. "Come on, let's go back inside the den."

Now safely inside the earth walls of her den, Streamstar curled up next to Sedgefur's side, and closed her eyes, thoughts and memories swirling inside her. But before she could have much time to dwell on it, she was lulled to sleep by fatigue and her mate's soft breathing.

And by morning, the strange dream was nothing more than a faint memory at the back of her mind.

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><p>In another den, another white-furred leader, was awake. But this time, there were no odd dreams, no mates murmuring comforting words at their side. This time, there were whispered words and flashing cold blue eyes—a plan was in place.<p>

Three cats were assembled in front of their IceClan leader—a dark grey tom, a fluffy brown she-cat, and a striped dark brown tom. The first one, the dark grey tom, spoke in a cold, level voice.

"Snowstar, I assume that you have an important reason for interrupting our sleep at this time of the night."

"Indeed I do, Coldbreeze." Snowstar's voice seemed to fill the den, bouncing off the walls.

Another tom, this one a striped dark brown, asked, "Then what is it?"

The leader's blue eyes glimmered with evil pleasure. "As you know, I am not pleased with WaterClan's and FireClan's decision. Therefore, I have devised a plan that will change their minds—FireClan, at least. Streamstar is set entirely on believing the she-cat's lies, but I believe a battle with FireClan will change their leader's mind very nicely. You cats, as the deputy, the medicine cat, and the best warrior in IceClan, Sharpstrike"—he nodded at the striped tom who had asked the question—"will lead beside me in this plan."

Then the last cat—a fluffy brown she-cat—spoke up, her words halting and indecisive. "Snowstar…are you sure that this is the right idea? Maybe I should ask StarCl—"

Snowstar suddenly hissed and lunged at the she-cat. Her words cut off in midsentence as she scrabbled backward desperately, her back hitting the den's wall with a soft _thud._

"I'm _quite_ sure, Birdwing," he snarled, his claws a mouse-length from the medicine cat's throat. "Do you have any more questions?" Birdwing shook her head gingerly, her amber eyes wide and bulging with fear.

Sharpstrike and Coldbreeze stayed silent. Even they had never seen their leader like that. All through his leadership, he had been a calm, though cold, poised tom. Until now.

Satisfied, Snowstar drew back. A barely audible sigh could be heard from Birdwing. "Now"—the leader sheathed his claws with a smug look on his face—"Sharpstrike, Coldbreeze, do _you_ have any questions for me?" Unsurprisingly, they shook their heads no.

"Excellent," the broad-shouldered tom meowed. "Tomorrow, at sunrise, we shall gather two large patrols for the battle. The objective will be to convince—or force—Smokestar to switch sides from Streamstar's to mine. Then, the scale will be tipped, and Streamstar will have no choice but to admit defeat. Sharpstrike and Coldbreeze, you will be coming. Birdwing, you will follow behind us to tend to any injuries."

The brown she-cat opened her mouth to ask a question—"Wouldn't it be dangerous to have her along, as a FireClan cat could mistake her for a warrior and kill her?"—but then, luckily for her, decided against it.

"Coldbreeze, it is up to you to decide the rest of the cats," Snowstar continued. The dark grey tom dipped his head silently in consent.

Snowstar looked around the den, his calculating stare falling on each of the assembled cats for a heartbeat-–deciding if each of the cats would follow him and only him, not whatever petty opinions they had in their heart. Coldbreeze held his gaze for a moment, then looked down. The medicine cat and Sharpstrike wisely followed suit.

A silence stretched in the air, and then Snowstar must have approved of each cat's loyalty, for he meowed, "Good. Remember to come at sunrise tomorrow to my den. That is all." He flicked his tail as a sign to dismiss them.

Silently, the cats filed out of their leader's den, and Snowstar settled down into his nest, a smirk curling his lip. _Those FireClan cats will never know what hit them._

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><p>You guys got to see Snowstar's dark side! Scary, no? :( I wasn't sure what to name Ice's sister, as Water is not exactly the best name, and for a time, I was considering Creek, but I think I'll keep Water now. It goes along with Fire and Ice's names. :)<p>

Ooh, what will happen in the planned battle? Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter-and review! ;D

~Ponyiowa


	15. Chapter 15: Preparations

Hello, hello! Quick update, huh? :D Well, I just got this one done, so I updated! :) I'm also planning to unleash the first chapter of a story I'm writing, _Phoenix,_ tomorrow, so put me on Author Alert if you want to see that one! ;)

** I have made my first forum on Saturday, and it's in the Warriors category. It's called WillowClan, until I can find a better name. So, if you want to go look at it, go ahead!**

.net/forum/WillowClan/102544/

Bubbletail: Those are cool names! I will use some of them for Scar's cats, but could I also use some for my new story? :)

xXMoonflightXx: Yeah, it would be a sight to see/read. You'll find out who wins in the next chapter! :D

Smurflover: I know you like Star Wars, and that line did indeed remind me of Star Wars when I was typing it! :D

SakuraFlutist: Thanks! :D You've got a cool name there!

Zebra Knitted: Yeah, usually you're the first one to review, but not this time, no? I already know your excuse, so it's okay! :P And who _said_ that Snowstar, Streamstar, and Smokestar are siblings? Hmm? *shifty eyes* ;) Smurflover also was reminded of Star Wars when she read the line, just so you know. :)

Flamestar456: Thank you! And you're welcome. :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.** (I just went through the Doc Manager and found out that I hadn't put disclaimers on Chapter 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 ! *cue gasp* But I fixed that, so yay! :D)

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><p><span>Chapter 15: Preparations<span>

On a particular cold, breezy morning, a dark grey tom sat on his haunches, staring out into the distance. But he wasn't looking at anything in particular. No, he was just deciding which cats to take for the battle.

Coldbreeze had already made up his mind for which warriors to take. But there would need to be apprentices, too; the fight would be a great training and learning opportunity for them. They would also be a help in the battle, small enough to slip through the yowling cats, yet trained enough to slit their throats. Should he pick Sorrelpaw? No, she didn't have enough experience or spirit to be in a battle yet. Owlpaw didn't either.

That dark gray tom, Stormpaw, however, had encountered a fox when he was a kit and had managed to stay alive until the Clans had found the kits…_ I'll take him. And Dapplepaw, too. _

His decision made, the deputy of IceClan stood up from his position on one of the great jagged rocks surrounding the IceClan territory—this specific one was just outside the camp. He then leaped down from the rock and padded through the stone tunnel that some Twolegs had made and then abandoned, that was now the IceClan camp entrance, to his leader's den.

The sun was rising, and he couldn't be late.

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><p>Sunlight poured in through the cave opening, falling upon the golden pelt of a she-cat and turning the soft fur to a glowing miniature sun. Bright light beat against the apprentice's eyelids, gently bringing her away from her dreams. It was morning.<p>

Dawnpaw yawned, and then stretched. _Why did she feel so excited…? _Oh! She suddenly remembered the intriguing cat last night at her very first Gathering…and Dawnpaw had been chosen to infiltrate Scar's camp! Her mouth stretched into a smile, and it grew even bigger when she remembered that after the FireClan cats had arrived back at the camp and Smokestar had announced the news, the leader had told Dawnpaw that she was free of all punishments that have been because of her little "adventure."

_No more cleaning out the elders' den, no more sorting herbs!_ she had cheered inside her head, while Smokestar had just shook his, wondering how things could have turned out this way that this apprentice only had to do chores for barely a quartermoon, and gotten off easy. But then Dawnpaw remembered something else…and her mouth turned down into a frown.

_Great StarClan, Stormpaw's coming! How could I have possibly forgotten that, even for a second?_ And her attempt to talk to Smokestar hadn't worked, either. She shifted in her nest restlessly, making her sister, who was located next to her and hadn't woken up yet, stir at the sound. Then Mistpaw cracked open one sleepy eye.

"Good morning, Mistpaw," Dawnpaw greeted.

"…Morning," mumbled Mistpaw in turn, and then buried her face in her paws, closing the one eye that had been open.

Dawnpaw grinned to herself. Mistpaw wasn't a morning cat, and hated waking up early. Her sister had yet to be on the dawn patrol, and StarClan help the warrior who would be leading that patrol. Mistpaw could be quite scary if she didn't get enough sleep.

Pricking her ears, Dawnpaw could just hear the dawn patrol leaving camp, so the light gray she-cat sleeping next to her wouldn't have any worries about waking up early today. Dawnpaw had gone two sunrises before on the patrol, and though it was cold, it was mid-newleaf and it had started to turn warm at the end of the patrol, so it wasn't that bad, really.

_ It's a good thing I don't have to go to dawn patrol in IceClan,_ Dawnpaw thought. She smirked as she thought of Stormpaw freezing his butt off when he had to go on the patrol. What she'd give to see that! _Then again, he's probably used to it, _she reasoned with herself._ So there goes my funny daydream. Sad. _

She burrowed down further into her nest, not because she wanted more warmth, but because doing so made her feel good: a brave FireClan warrior, ready for ambush. Then she heard paws thundering on the ground, racing back toward camp. Was that the dawn patrol? But they'd only been gone a few minutes!

But when she got up and padded to the entrance of the apprentices' den, Dawnpaw found that it was indeed the dawn patrol. She had heard Rockfeather calling cats up to go on the dawn patrol before, and he was here now, only this time he had surprising news.

Smokestar came out of his den, frowning. "Aren't you supposed to be on the—"

Rockfeather interrupted him. "Smokestar, I have urgent news." A few gasps rose up, both as the strange announcement and at the fact that the brown tom had just interrupted his leader in the middle of his sentence. It was considered very rude in FireClan to interrupt your leader like that. But it didn't seem that important right then to Rockfeather, who plowed straight on, as blunt as a, well, rock.

"IceClan is attacking."

Smokestar drew in his breath, unprepared for the news. Then he settled a mask of calmness of his face, knowing that his Clan needed him to lead them during this time. "Then we shall meet him," he declared. "If we come to an agreement over whatever has caused Snowstar to behave that way, then there will be no fighting. However," he paused, "if our opinions clash…then we fight." A cheer rose up from the dawn patrol and a few warriors who had come out at Rockfeather's shocking announcement.

"Blossompetal, lead one patrol," he commanded of his deputy. The brown she-cat, who had been on the dawn patrol, nodded at him. "Take Ashpool, Scorchclaw, Applefern, Flamelight, and Emberpaw with you. I'll lead a second patrol, with Rockfeather, Flowerstep, Cherryfur, Mistpaw, and Dawnpaw." The three apprentices would be useful in battle, and it would help with their fighting skills—especially Dawnpaw and Emberpaw, who would need the experience and training for infiltrating Scar's camp.

Dawnpaw, who had been standing just inside the apprentices' den, now raced back to her light gray sister, who was still slumbering in her nest of moss and feathers.

"Mistpaw!" She shook her littermate's shoulder with one golden paw.

The light gray she-cat slowly blinked her blue eyes open. "Wha-at?" she moaned. "It's so early, and…" Her eyes started to flutter shut again, but Dawnpaw got right in Mistpaw's face.

"IceClan is attacking! You've got to get up!" That woke Mistpaw right up, along with everybody else. Dawnpaw had shouted too loud, and she felt embarrassed as Willowpaw, Emberpaw, and Swiftpaw shot up out of their nests, all with varying exclamations of "What? IceClan's attacking?"

Mistpaw nodded importantly. "Yes, IceClan is attacking," she meowed, setting off another round of "Right now? What-why-how?" Dawnpaw had to roll her eyes at her sister, who had claimed the announcement as her own, as if she had been the one to hear it firstpaw.

"I heard Snowstar announce the cats when you guys were all asleep," Dawnpaw said. "He picked me, Mistpaw, and Emberpaw to go." A chorus of "Aww's" rose up from the remaining apprentices, Willowpaw and Swiftpaw, but Emberpaw just grinned smugly as he joined Dawnpaw and her sister at the entrance.

"Selected cats, follow your patrol leader!" Smokestar could be heard announcing, and the three apprentices, after saying goodbye to the ones left behind, lined up behind their leader. Once all cats had been accounted for, the warriors and three apprentices set off to the edge of their territory where Rockfeather had reported seeing them, padding silently through the trees. Dawnpaw especially took care in placing her paws down, moving like a snake.

She was ready to defend her Clan.

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><p>Stormpaw's paws ached and his legs trembled. And yet, he had to stand. It wouldn't look good if FireClan suddenly came and caught the IceClan warriors sitting, was what Coldbreeze had said. <em>So what?<em> he thought grumpily, rubbing his chest fur with one paw to warm up better. In this weather, licking would only make it worse.

Beside him, Dapplepaw was strangely silent. He would have thought that she would be chattering on and on about how cool it was to battle FireClan, but apparently being out this early on such an important mission had silenced her.

In fact, Snowstar himself had said that this battle was "important", and was leading one of the two patrols ready to fight if the FireClan leader didn't agree with Snowstar. The broad-shouldered white leader was currently standing off to Stormpaw's right, conversing in low tones with Coldbreeze. Craning his ears and head while trying to look unsuspicious, Stormpaw managed to catch their words, carried by the blustery wind that was blowing.

"…defeat them," Coldbreeze was saying. Snowstar nodded.

"Remember, the plan is to convince Smokestar to side with me, not Streamstar…whether by using words or physical action." The white leader flicked his tail sharply to the right, and continued on, "That's the signal to start fighting. Understand?"

Coldbreeze nodded, and passed on the message to Sharpstrike, who stood closest to them. The striped dark brown tom then whispered it to Twistfang, and the words continued down the line until it reached Stormpaw and he told it to Dapplepaw, the last cat. She just nodded in reply, eyes fixed on the distance ahead just as she had done to the leaders in the Gathering last night.

Suddenly, the dappled brown she-cat called out, "FireClan's coming!" and a hush fell over the two patrols, as a few cats had been chatting while waiting in the cold. Snowstar broke off his conversation with his deputy and padded to the front, heading his cats. When the FireClan cats reached them, he began to speak.

"I have come here to talk to you about our decision of trusting Mist," the white leader said.

"My decision remains unchanged," Smokestar replied back.

Snowstar's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure of that?" A few FireClan cats began to shift their paws and look nervously from side to side at Snowstar's statement, but the FireClan leader remained strong.

"Yes, I am."

The IceClan leader gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, I was hoping you wouldn't say that, but I guess I have no choice now." He turned his face to the assembled IceClan cats behind him, still keeping one eye on Smokestar. Stormpaw stopped rumpling his fur and stood straight. He knew what was coming. Snowstar flicked his tail sharply to the right, and the IceClan cats readied.

"IceClan, attack!"

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><p>Sorry I had to cut this off. *mournful look* You'll find out what happens in the battle in the next chapter, and there's going to be some fluff, kind of, 'cause I've been kind of neglecting StormXDawn, so yay! :) Sadly, I'll be gone tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday, because I shall be going skiing, so don't expect Chapter 16 until at least Saturday. :(<p>

Now review. Please. :D

~Ponyiowa


	16. Chapter 16: Claws and Teeth

Hello, guys! I'm back from my skiing trip (as you may have read in_ Phoenix_), but I didn't really have that much time to write, as there was Christmas and celebrations and whatnot. But here's the chapter! I almost reached 1900 words in this, but you don't need to hear me blabber on about this, do you? :P Oh, and heads up-there's a surprise at the end. ;) I think it came out a little rushed...but oh, well. :/

SakuraFlutist: Here's the battle, then! There's something surprising at the end, though. ;)

Bubbletail: Thanks, the names really help! :D And yes, they _do_ meet in battle! That's what the surprise is about. ;)

California Rain: You changed your name, again? *le gasp* :0 But anyway, yes, I think something must be wrong with you. :P There's kinda StormXDawn in here... Yay, no concrit? Good! :D

Smurflover: I had fun skiing, thanks! :D Yeah, Jackson's Chase ended. I didn't read the last chapters though, 'cause I was busy. *sigh* I guess I'll save that for a rainy day, or something. "Almost everybody was mentioned"? Who didn't I mention who was an important main character? :/

Spottedfire98: Yeah, skiing's great. :) Sorry I took a long time writing this, but as you know, I was planning to finish and upload it yesterday at my friend's house but as soon as they picked me up we went shopping until 4 in the afternoon, and I didn't exactly ask to go shopping, though it was fun... But the chapter's here now! :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, yadda yadda yadda.** Okay, enough with the hints of a "surprise" and onto the story! :D

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><p><span>Chapter 16: Claws and Teeth<span>

At their leader's command, the IceClan cats leaped at them, claws out and teeth ready.

Dawnpaw glanced at Smokestar, who hesitated for a second, and then countered with, "FireClan, attack!" The smoky gray leader jumped for Snowstar's throat, and his warriors and apprentices followed suit, leaping into the fray to battle their IceClan opponents.

Her sister turned to her. "Let's promise to have each other's backs." Flattening her ears against the roar of the wind and the sound of cats clashing, Dawnpaw nodded, and together, the two sisters charged into battle.

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><p>The first cat that Stormpaw could make out against the chaos of the fight as he landed was a broad-shouldered tom, who yowled and rushed him as soon as his paws touched the ground. Stormpaw dodged, and then jumped onto the tom's back, clawing him.<p>

The FireClan warrior shook him off his back with little hardship, took a swipe at Stormpaw's nose, and then turned tail to find a more worthwhile opponent. Stormpaw stood on the ground watching him go.

_So now full-grown FireClan warriors are attacking apprentices? _he thought. _That just shows what fox-hearts they are. _

He scoffed to no one in particular, and then was caught off guard by a passing FireClan warrior—this one was a small brown she-cat. She turned and leapt at him, bowling him over. They tussled for a while, just another scene against the wall of fighting cats.

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><p>"This way!"<p>

Dawnpaw followed her sister's voice through the turmoil of the battle. Wondering what Mistpaw was up to, she picked her way through the battlefield. The golden she-cat had to sidestep when two cats—Applefern and an IceClan cat, a dark gray tom, rolled by, nearly knocking her over. _A dark gray tom…_

Taking a second look, she found that the IceClan cat was Stormpaw. A slight surprise coursed through her, and she suddenly felt a hunger to join Applefern, reaching at and clawing that stormy gray fur… Then Mistpaw's voice broke through—"Come on!"—and the two fighting cats tumbled out of view.

Dawnpaw shook off the strange feeling that had taken over and padded toward Mistpaw's voice, once again puzzled about why Mistpaw wanted to go somewhere instead of just settling down and fighting. If any of the IceClan cats they had passed hadn't been in a fight or had wanted to attack them, they would have been sitting birds!

She finally found her sister, just at the base of one of the pines that FireClan had scattered around their territory. _Oh!_ Dawnpaw suddenly understood. The two Clans had met at the edge of the FireClan and IceClan territories, where the boundaries met.

When the IceClan cats had attacked, they had leaped over the borders, and had landed in FireClan territory. And so, Mistpaw was using that fact to the full advantage, for of course FireClan cats know FireClan land best.

Dawnpaw grinned to herself. They would use the oak to guard themselves, along with fighting back-to-back. _Then we'll be able to fight off any IceClan cats! _she cheered in her head. An image of Stormpaw surfaced, but she shook it off, pushing his face into the back of her mind. What was wrong with her?

But her sister was waiting for her, and it was in the middle of a battle, no less! Dawnpaw felt lucky that no one had decided to attack her while she was distracted. The apprentice bounded to the tree, clearing the space between her and her sister. Mistpaw nodded at her.

"Finally." She swept her tail from left to right. "Now…we fight."

Dawnpaw wanted to laugh, but then a hiss caught her attention. A dappled brown she-cat, the one who had been sitting with Stormpaw the night before at the Gathering, was crouched down before her, ready to leap. The IceClan cat must have been about six moons, the same age as Dawnpaw—so she was also an apprentice.

Contempt flashed in the she-cat's amber eyes, and the IceClan apprentice spat at her. Dawnpaw immediately decided she didn't like this cat, but hardly a second after her decision passed before the brown she-cat leapt at her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dawnpaw saw her sister fighting with another IceClan cat, a ginger tom, and then her back hit the ground. _Oomph._ All the air rushed out of her, and it took a moment for her to regain her breath.

The dappled she-cat swung her paw at Dawnpaw's face, who ducked her head to avoid the blow, while kicking out her back legs, knocking the IceClan apprentice off of her. Standing back up, the amber-eyed she-cat swiped a claw at Dawnpaw, who was now also up on her feet.

Dawnpaw dodged to the left, and retaliated with a claw strike of her own, but the IceClan apprentice only stepped back with a nasty laugh and then sprang at her again.

_Yep,_ Dawnpaw thought as her back hit the dusty ground with a thud yet again,_ I definitely don't like this cat._

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><p>The two leaders fought, landing blows and dodging claw strokes.<p>

Snowstar huffed angrily after he failed to rake his claws down the FireClan leader's chest. "You still aren't convinced yet?"

Smokestar played dumb as he swiped at the white tom's face. "Do you mean the part about Mist?"

"Great StarClan, yes!" Snowstar was exasperated, and a hint of obnoxiousness crept into his voice, making him seem less like a proud leader, and more like a whining kit. "I don't think we should trust her, but _no_, soft Streamstar wants to and apparently so do you." The IceClan leader blinked his blue eyes against the thin rivulets of blood that ran down his face; Smokestar had landed his blow successfully.

"She seems trustworthy, and if she is indeed telling the truth about Scar and her plans to attack us, then sending our apprentices to infiltrate Scar's camps is a good idea," Smokestar replied stiffly, launching another attack against Snowstar's face.

This time, Snowstar managed to turn his face to the side, getting only a small scratch on his neck. "Oh, so Mist _seems_ trustworthy," he challenged. "Well, what if she isn't?" He clawed Smokestar's side before he could step away.

The FireClan leader took a moment to lick his bleeding flank and then said, "Then our apprentices will come back after finding no camp. The whole matter will be done, with no losses. Even if they're missing for a while, they'll assuredly be safe and we will still have apprentices, except for WaterClan." He swept his paw underneath Snowstar, knocking the leader off his feet.

"What if they don't come back? What if they're attacked by a fox or die of hunger like they probably will?" Snowstar retaliated, struggling to his paws again with an angry hiss.

Smokestar paused, a thoughtful look appearing on his face. "You know, you sound really sure that our apprentices will die and never come back. And it doesn't seem like you have an obvious reason for not liking Mist." The white-furred leader snarled and lunged at Smokestar, but he dodged the charge and continued on. "Why are you so against it, to the point of launching a—may I say—pointless battle? Do you know something's going to happen to the apprentices?"

"No," Snowstar grunted. "I just don't like her." He sounded like a whiny kit again. Smokestar eyed him, but didn't speak anymore. Then Snowstar hissed angrily and sprang at Smokestar, knocking him over. The two leaders continued their battle.

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><p><em>Ha!<em> Dawnpaw stood up and watched the dappled she-cat stalk off. She had won her fight! She allowed herself to briefly bask in her victory, then looked to her right to see how Mistpaw was doing, remembering their agreement to have each other's backs.

She saw her sister battling with another she-cat; this one was a grey she-cat who looked to be a young warrior. Mistpaw didn't seem to be having any trouble with the IceClan cat, so Dawnpaw paused for a moment to rest.

"Being lazy, huh?" a voice smirked. Dawnpaw looked up from her brief resting to find…_him_.

_Of course,_ a cynical voice sounded in her head. Stormpaw was sitting on his haunches, with a haughty grin touching his mouth. Dawnpaw immediately stood up, feeling defensive, and then angry when the IceClan apprentice mirrored her action.

"I was resting," Dawnpaw said in a "duh" voice.

"Uh-huh." Sarcasm could be heard loud and clear in the tone.

Dawnpaw hissed. "You were sitting on your bottom, too!"

"That's 'cause I was _resting_."

"What? I don't even—that doesn't make—you're doing this to provoke me, aren't you?"

"It's turning out to be pretty easy so far."

She was fed up. If he wanted a fight (well, this was indeed a battle), then he was going to get one. "Fine, if you want me provoked, you got me provoked." She sprang at him, not going for clawing or leaping on top of him, but instead, went for a whack at the side of his head.

The blow was successfully aimed, and when Dawnpaw landed on the ground and spun around, ready for another attack, the annoying stormy-pelted tom was staggering to the side, clearly in pain. "Got ya!" Dawnpaw spat in satisfaction.

Stormpaw steadied himself and looked at her with a glare akin to hate. Dawnpaw almost stepped backward from the force of the glare, but stayed standing strong—which was good, because if she hadn't, she wouldn't have been prepared for what came next.

A force slammed into her, knocking her off her paws and pounding her back into the ground for the third time that day. Dawnpaw would have gritted her teeth and called Stormpaw a few choice words (for example, badgerbutt and mousebrain) but then he was pummeling her, raining blows onto her soft belly.

Dawnpaw snarled and jerked herself to the side, freeing herself from under his weight. She swiped her claws at his leg, but he pulled it up above her reach, avoiding her paw. She swept her front leg under his, knocking Stormpaw onto_ his_ back. While he was scrabbling to get up, Dawnpaw cuffed him on the ear and stepped back, waiting for his next move.

That was a mistake.

Stormpaw jerked up, faster than Dawnpaw would have thought, to his paws. There was a look on his face…one that unsettled her. He pounced on her, bowling her over. Dawnpaw struggled to escape, but she was held down tight.

_Where's Mistpaw?_ Dawnpaw thought, remembering their pact. She tilted her head slightly to her right, looking for her littermate. She found Mistpaw battling a striped orange tom, not far way but not near enough to see Dawnpaw's dilemma. Mistpaw seemed to be holding her own, but the tom kept her occupied enough that she was too focused on her own fight to help her sister.

Dawnpaw turned back to her own problem, trying to throw the aggravating tom off in vain. Then she went limp, hoping that doing so would convince him he'd won and he would back off—Honeyleaf had taught her this their last training session.

But Stormpaw only growled and said, "I know you're faking."

And then he lunged for her throat.

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><p>Oh, yeah! Stormpaw's gone crazy, no? 0.o A cliffhanger! I wonder what your reactions will be... *thoughtful look*<p>

Review!

~Ponyiowa


	17. Chapter 17: Hiding Under a Holly Bush

Hello, guys! I know you've been waiting for Chapter 17, and sorry for the wait, but just go blame school and homework, 'kay? :P And here's the chapter.

California Rain: Yeah, there were apprentices in the battle with Scourge's cats, and the ThunderClan apprentices all jumped on Bone and killed him when he killed Whitestorm, if I remember correctly. And thanks for the review! :)

Spottedfire98: It is now continued. :D

xXMoonflightXx: LOL, I loved your review. :D Dawnpaw _is_ very awesome.

Bubbletail: Well, here it is! :)

Smurflover: You have a (late) Happy New Year's too! :D Thanks for reviewing!

SakuraFlutist: Don't worry, Dawnpaw's going to be okay. ;)

Zestia240: Yeah, I'm a little slow at that, aren't I? :P They're going to start off soon though, so watch out for that.

Cherrynose: Wow, so many reviews! Thanks! :D

RandomFalcon: He was just really angry, and it's kinda explained in the story.

Viper3332: So, I got the review alert for your anonymous review on Tuesday, and I am confused. Are you trying to convince me to update in a failed but joking kind of way, as you write [Okay, no one is going to read this if you refuse to update!] and [You better write more or else no ones ever going to read anything you write!]? Or are you trying to put down my story: [not that it's that good anyway.]? :( If you have an account, sign into it, or make one, so that if you have any further problems with this we can talk it over in a PM. But the chapter's here and it's updated, so I don't think there's much more to be said.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 17: Hiding Under a Holly Bush<span>

Time slowed.

Adrenaline pumped through Dawnpaw's veins.

She was not going down without one more final try.

With a yowl, she kicked out her back legs as hard as she could, and at the same time, she jerked to the side, pushing off on her front legs once the weight of Stormpaw was off her. She twisted into the air and then landed, paws planted firmly on the ground with a fierce snarl on her face.

Dawnpaw dug her claws into the earth, daring the IceClan apprentice to come any closer. _Is he crazy?_ she wondered in her head.

But Stormpaw seemed to be backing off. His dark gray pelt was flattened down, making him seem smaller in a submissive kind of way. Without a sound, he turned around and took off running hard, disappearing between the throes of fighting cats.

"Ha," Dawnpaw spat, still shaking from the close encounter. In those last few moments, Stormpaw had seemed…almost not like himself. She knew they both didn't like each other very much, maybe even close to hatred, but to try to kill each other? Killing a cat was against the warrior code! You were supposed to defeat your enemy, not kill them, because killing showed that you had no self-control or morals.

"Dawnpaw! I need some help over here!" a voice suddenly called. It was Mistpaw. Turning away from her jumbled thoughts and toward the voice, she spotted her light gray sister locked in a struggle with a reddish-pelted tom.

_Where was Mistpaw when I needed her?_ Dawnpaw thought with a slight tinge of bitterness, but bounded toward the pair with a vengeance. She barreled right through them, separating the two fighting cats. Then once the tom was apart from her sister, she leaped onto his back and started scratching the reddish fur hard, for all she was worth.

The IceClan warrior hissed and starting bucking, trying to throw her off, but she clung on. She clouted his ears with one paw, making him yelp in pain, then jumped off. While he was still trying to recover from his ringing ears, Dawnpaw slashed his flank as hard as she could, putting all her hatred of Stormpaw into it.

Red blood dripped from the open wound. The red-pelted tom yowled angrily, trying to claw her back, but she danced backward, taunting him with a smirk on her face. Finally, after a few more claw marks on his legs—thanks to Dawnpaw, of course—the tom stalked off, probably to find the IceClan medicine cat. The fight was over in a matter of minutes.

Mistpaw was staring at her sister with a slightly shocked expression in her eyes, but with a victorious grin on her mouth. "That was great!" she said to Dawnpaw. "Though, you're not supposed to kill them, you know." Her eyes had a teasing light in them.

Dawnpaw simply nodded, but in her mind she was firing up a million responses she could have said. _Oh, yeah? Then tell that to Stormpaw._

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><p>He ran.<p>

Past the throngs of battling cats, dark gray paws hitting the ground in a kind of pounding anxiety, one that matched his heartbeats. _Thud, thud, thud, thud. Thud, thud, thud, thud._

He pelted past the borderline, running all the way to the outskirts of the battle and into the safe quietness of the IceClan territory, just beyond the battle. He ducked into a holly bush, finally letting out a sigh of relief into the silent protection of the leaves and branches surrounding him. His heartbeat slowed, his breaths began less ragged and heaving.

_What had happened back there? _Stormpaw rested his chin on his paws, trying to review his thoughts. He had just been so mad about Dawnpaw clawing him, and with the heat of the battle added in, he'd…

Well, all that could be said now was that the journey to Scar's camp definitely wouldn't be a peaceful one. It wouldn't have been, anyway, but with this added in the rest of the apprentices were going to wish they hadn't come. Stormpaw took a deep breath. Now that he'd calmed down and had sorted out his thoughts, he was ready to go back into the battle.

He had just gotten to his paws and was preparing to leave the canopy of the bush when there was a rustle behind him. Stormpaw froze, pulling his head back in like a turtle from the opening in the branches he was just about to step through.

"Stormpaw? Is that you?" a quiet voice asked. It was a familiar one, and the IceClan apprentice relaxed.

"Yes…Birdwing?" he guessed.

"Yes, it's me," the usually soft-spoken medicine cat replied.

Stormpaw was confused. Shouldn't Birdwing be back at the IceClan camp, to wait for the wounded warriors to be carried to her to treat? "Why are you here?"

Birdwing sighed. "Snowstar thinks I'll be more useful here."

"Why wasn't I told?" he questioned, also thinking that Birdwing could accidentally get hurt by a FireClan warrior.

"You know that Snowstar isn't too happy about you and Dapplepaw going on the infiltration," Birdwing started. "And so, if you got severely hurt and couldn't find me, then…" She trailed off awkwardly, her words vanishing into the darkness of the leafy overhang, leaving Stormpaw to fill in the gap.

It didn't take long. Snowstar had wanted Stormpaw and Dapplepaw to _die_? Stormpaw's dark gray pelt bristled in furious indignation, and his ice blue eyes narrowed. Just because Snowstar didn't get his way didn't mean he should prevent two apprentices from getting treatments for their wounds…

"Anyway," the medicine cat continued, picking up from where she had left, "since you're here, you might as well get treated. Right?" Stormpaw thought that Birdwing might be attempting a kind smile in the darkness.

"Right," he agreed, and led the way out of the holly bush, where the brown tabby she-cat pressed a few cobwebs over the couple scrapes Dawnpaw had given him. He winced as she carefully examined the wounds, not out of pain, but over the shame of having nearly broken the warrior code. _It must have been the fervor of the battle and my anger at Dawnpaw,_ he thought.

Birdwing noticed his shudder and asked, "Is there something else you want me to look at?"

"No." Stormpaw shook his head. "No, there isn't."

The she-cat studied him, in a way that said that she wanted to ask more. Stormpaw didn't blame her; Birdwing must have been full of questions about why he'd come barreling into the bush like a frightened rabbit.

But her unsaid questions went on being unsaid, for a reddish-pelted tom was coming up before them. "I need you to look at some of my wounds, Birdwing," he said. It was Foxfoot, a warrior in IceClan known for his hotheadedness and brash, bold way of talking.

Birdwing looked up. "Just finished," she said, applying the last cobweb to a scratch on his shoulder that the small brown she-cat he'd wrestled with had given him. Then she stepped toward Foxfoot.

"Great StarClan, what happened to you?" she remarked, looking wonderingly at a deep gash on Foxfoot's left side. There were also multiple claw marks on his back, and several scratches on his legs. _That must have done a great deal of damage to his ego,_ Stormpaw thought with a snigger. He didn't like the reddish warrior very much, as once Foxfoot had called him an "annoying mousebrain".

Foxfoot huffed, an annoyed sound, and looked indignant. "I was having a typical and very fair fight with this puny gray FireClan apprentice, when suddenly this other apprentice, a golden she-cat, came flying out of nowhere and jumped on my back! And then she started clawing me! Now tell me that isn't fair," he griped.

"No, that isn't fair," Birdwing said indulgently to him. When you had to deal with a cat like Foxfoot and his giant ego, it was best to agree with everything he said.

But Stormpaw was staring wide-eyed at Foxfoot's flank wound. _A golden she-cat…_ It must have been Dawnpaw! And from the looks of it, she'd been _really _mad. _Must have been right after I ran away_, he figured.

"Now," the IceClan medicine cat said to Foxfoot, finishing up with his injuries, "you should go back to the camp and rest inside your nest for a few days with this wound. You don't want it to get infected while you're out hunting."

"But…but…" Foxfoot protested, looking horrified at Birdwing's prescription. "I have to go back and claw the living sunlight out of that apprentice!"

"And you'll probably get scratched to pieces again, just like this time," Birdwing said firmly.

Stormpaw snorted, finding Birdwing's statement funny. "Yeah, that's right."

"You little—" The reddish tom turned to spring at Stormpaw, but Birdwing blocked his way.

"I just finished cleaning your wounds," she chided. "If you want them to get dirty and messed up and get an infection and then die, that's fine with me, though." When Foxfoot glared at her, though, the medicine cat shrank slightly. "Now get back to the camp," Birdwing said, her voice slightly wavering.

Foxfoot sighed and went, stalking off with a mighty grumble.

Birdwing turned back to the still snickering Stormpaw. "What are you still doing here?" she asked, though the answer was obvious.

_Oops._ "I'm going," Stormpaw quickly said, leaping up. "Thanks for dressing my scratches." He quickly trotted away, back toward the battle. Birdwing stood thoughtfully for a few moments, looking after the retreating figure, before turning to gather her herbs and retreat back to the holly bush, to wait for wounded cats once more.

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><p>Ha, Dawnpaw beat up Foxfoot! :P And isn't Snowstar mean to his apprentices? :(<p>

Review, please! :)

~Ponyiowa


	18. Chapter 18: Snowstar's Demand

Yeah, I know I'm late. *sheepish look* Anyway, I just had a case of writer's block for this, but I'm back! :) I will not be answering reviews in this chapter because I am too lazy and there are too many of them, and I think that you would rather read the story instead. :P

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 18: Snowstar's Demand<span>

Dawnpaw sprang at yet another IceClan cat, bowling them over. She swiped and clawed, not caring whether she missed or not. It didn't matter. Within minutes, the cat was wrestling itself free of her snarling jaws, running away from the seeming-to-be-crazy apprentice.

Another opponent down. Dawnpaw feverishly looked around for another one, but none seemed to be in sight. All other cats around her seemed to be paired off in hissing, clawing turmoil. Perhaps she had exhausted all the possible enemies in this area.

So she padded away to another section of the fight, eager to exhort all the anger at Stormpaw she felt onto whatever unlucky IceClan cat who happened to meet up with her—though not far away enough that she couldn't keep an eye on her sister's battles. Though Mistpaw seemed to be holding her own against a grey she-cat, she might not be able to against the next. And Dawnpaw would be very happy to help.

Stalking quietly through the throngs of battling cats, Dawnpaw kept one ear out for Stormpaw—just in case he tried to sneak up on her again—and both eyes out for potential opponents.

Aha! The same dappled she-cat, the apprentice sitting beside Stormpaw at the Gathering, was threading quietly through the cats, head down as if she wanted to avoid any more fighting.

_Well,_ Dawnpaw thought nastily, _you're in for a big surprise._

She waited until the apprentice was almost past her, then leapt. The she-cat landed on her back with a surprised yowl. Without waiting for the she-cat to recover, Dawnpaw swiped a claw at her face, scoring thin red lines through the spotted fur. The cat hissed in pain, then kicked out, forcing Dawnpaw to back up. While she was still backing up, the IceClan apprentice dove for her legs, attempting to trip Dawnpaw. But Dawnpaw stepped to the side, letting the she-cat go past, and then laid a paw on the cat's exposed belly fur once the she-cat had sprawled into a mess that would make any mentor hide their head with shame.

When the cat tried to get up, Dawnpaw just pressed her paw harder into the soft unprotected underside and let her claws prick the skin beneath the fur lightly—a gentle warning.

The she-cat stopped struggling and glared at Dawnpaw hatefully. "Let. Me. Up," she spat furiously, or rather, tried to. Instead she sounded like a whiny kit, "Lemme_ up_!"

"Not until you beg for mercy," said Dawnpaw calmly.

"No."

"Well, then you're not getting up."

The IceClan apprentice snarled and tried to wriggle out from under Dawnpaw, tried to claw at her face but was out of reach. She looked for all in the world like a stranded fish out of water, albeit a strangely dappled brown color.

Inside, Dawnpaw laughed.

"Well?" she prompted.

Her trapped opponent thrashed a few more times, then gave up with a huff. "You FireClan cats are weird," she muttered under her breath. "Fine. Please let—"

"Dawnpaw!" a voice called frantically. "Dawnpaw, I need your help!"

Dawnpaw couldn't help gritting her teeth in annoyance. _Now_ Mistpaw decided to call for help?

The she-cat, however, was sensing an escape. "Why don't you go and help her, Dawnpaw?" she asked with a smirk.

"Shut. Up."

"Dawnpaw, please!" came Mistpaw's voice again.

Dawnpaw sighed and let the IceClan she-cat get up, who looked very smug as Dawnpaw turned to rush to her sister's rescue.

"See you on the journey!" the dappled apprentice called out snarkily.

She didn't turn to look back, for she knew she would see a triumphant grin on the she-cat's annoying face. _Journey…dappled she-cat…oh, wait…_ She nearly stopped as her brain clicked to the conclusion she'd been dreading.

_Why did she always get stuck with the cats she hated?_

* * *

><p>There were times when Smokestar found Snowstar simply <em>aggravating<em>.

This was one of those times.

The IceClan leader could be thickheaded, mousebrained, and stubborn. And now he was choosing to be all three.

Sometimes Smokestar wondered if IceClan's former leader had had a temporary brain lapse when he had chosen Snowstar to be the deputy, and then, automatically after he died, the new leader. But who had been the former IceClan leader? Smokestar thought and thought, but as hard as he tried, he could not remember who Snowstar's predecessor was. He grew more unsettled when he found that he could not remember who _his_ leader had been, nor Streamstar's.

_Perhaps I am growing old,_ he thought.

But it was not true; he was in fact at the peak of his age, as was Snowstar and Streamstar. _Enough pondering,_ he decided, and dealt Snowstar a stinging slap in the face.

The two leaders had been fighting steadily for several minutes now, and Smokestar felt himself slowing down. But Snowstar, too, was tiring and he took his breaths in ragged gasps.

_It's all Smokestar's fault,_ Snowstar thought grumpily. _If he had just sided with me at the Gathering…_

_ It's all Snowstar's fault, _Smokestar thought with a touch of annoyance. _If he hadn't been stupid enough to start a fight, they could have all been in their camps, training for the one-moon period and going about their business on a normal day. _

Smokestar smacked Snowstar in the face again as the white tom tried to claw his side. It was the easiest thing to go for, now that the fight was beginning to wear down on his muscles.

Snowstar let out a small yowl of pain, then shut his mouth, trying to keep up an appearance of strong and stoic. "Temporary time-out," he said.

Usually Smokestar would have gone on fighting, would have smacked Snowstar in the face yet again for announcing a temporary time-out as if he was a commanding warrior of StarClan, but this time he needed a few moments of rest. "Temporary time-out," he agreed, and the two leaders backed away from each other and settled down on their haunches to lick their wounds. It wasn't long before cats paused fighting and stopped to watch the two toms sit across from each other and groom themselves calmly and slowly, like guests at a tea party (except without the licking).

The temporary truce lasted exactly thirty seconds before Snowstar stood up. "I have a compromise to suggest," he said.

Smokestar also stood up and eyed him carefully, but said nothing.

"My compromise," said Snowstar, "is that the battle be stopped and the chosen IceClan apprentices to go on the mission to infiltrate Scar's camp. In return, I ask that you let me hold a certain apprentice of yours hostage. I believe Mistpaw is her name."

* * *

><p>Dawnpaw quickly dispatched her sister's opponent with a quick sweep under the legs and then several scratches on the flanks once the enemy was down. The rush of adrenaline was fading, but she could still feel her anger at the dark gray apprentice.<p>

_ Cheating, filthy scumball. _

After the IceClan cat had fled, and with a parting grateful look from her sister, she trotted off to find another opponent to fight. She was, she thought, enjoying that part.

As she walked through the melee, she saw Snowstar and Smokestar standing across from each other, not attacking, but not smiling and chatting it up either. There were also a few cats observing the face off. Curious, she padded toward them just in time to hear Snowstar say, "I ask that you let me hold a certain apprentice of yours hostage. I believe Mistpaw is her name."

Dawnpaw stopped, shocked. He wanted Mistpaw? He wanted her sister?

"Why her?" Smokestar asked coolly.

"Because she has the same name as the strange Mist," said Snowstar. "I don't believe that is a mere coincidence. So, she needs to be watched to make sure she isn't on Scar's side."

_That is possibly the dumbest and __most i__llogical thing I have ever heard,_ decided Dawnpaw. How can that not be just a coincidence?

Smokestar looked unconvinced. "That isn't a good enough reason to take one of my apprentices hostage for something that you should cooperate with in the first place."

"But don't you see?" Snowstar hissed. "Named like that, she _has_ to have something to do with the stranger and Scar! She has to!"

Snowstar is a stupid and superstitious mousebrain, thought Dawnpaw. She took a step forward. "_I_ disagree," she said, loudly and clearly.

Heads turned, eyes widened. Was she crazy?

"Oh really," drawled Snowstar lazily, but his body language gave him away: raised hackles, tense shoulders, narrowed slits of eyes. "Why do you think that?"

Dawnpaw walked closer until she was right in front of the white tom, slotting herself in between the two leaders. Up close, it was harder to ignore the fact that the IceClan leader was much, much bigger than her. Much, much stronger than her. Much more unpredictable than her. "First of all, your reasoning is illogical," she told him boldly, only the slightest quiver of hesitation in her voice. "Wanting to take a small, innocent apprentice hostage, for merely having the same name as a _suspected _enemy? Why, that's just ridiculous!" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a few cats' heads begin to nod, and she went on more confidently. "Do we refrain from eating birds because they, too, have only two legs like the Twolegs? Do we avoid naming cats Foxkit because of foxes? Do FireClan cats avoid playing in the snow, your namesake, because of_ you_?"

"No!" a few FireClan cats shouted enthusiastically.

"I stand by what I said," stated Snowstar firmly, but his strong and stoic façade was already beginning to fade under Dawnpaw's much more logical argument. Looking around out of the corner of his eye, he could see cats nodded their heads and agreements being voiced. Somehow, the battle that was meant to defeat FireClan and bring them to their side had turned to a match of wits and logic. A match that he was losing.

"Come off it, Snowstar," shouted one of the younger FireClan warriors. "You know you're losing."

"You know it!" echoed another FireClan voice. Snowstar gritted his teeth, but none of the watching IceClan warriors spoke up. And in this situation, that meant no conflict, if not agreement.

"Well?" Smokestar prompted.

"Very well," Snowstar spat. "As you seem to think that my logic is…_illogical,_ I will not demand it."

"And?"

"I allow my apprentices to go on the journey."

Dawnpaw watched the white tom leader surrender, a small warmth of pride in her chest. Yet she couldn't help notice that the way the two leaders talked to each other, it was almost like…almost like they knew each other. Not as leaders of different Clans, but from someplace else, a distant time long ago.

No, I'm just imagining it, she told herself, and went to go find Mistpaw.

Snowstar called all of his warriors to his side and told them in a clipped tone that the battle was over and that the two apprentices would have to go on the journey. It did not escape his attention that a certain dark gray apprentice did not look unhappy at the news. At least the dappled one had the good sense to act angry for her leader. Instead, his face was neutral, his eyes almost blank, and he walked like a badger was holding onto his tail for dear life. So as Snowstar led his losing side of cats back to the IceClan camp, he came to the decision that he would watch that apprentice very carefully. For now.

* * *

><p>The ending feels a bit rushed to me, but I didn't know what else to put. So, Snowstar is suspicious of Stormpaw, but he doesn't know what Stormpaw almost just did. Snowstar is turning out to be a stubborn superstitious suspicious tom, isn't he? "And in that situation, that meant no conflict, if not agreement." If you can, could you please, in your review, write words that might be better substitutes for "conflict" and "agreement"? Thanks. :D<p>

Review, please, if you're still reading. :)

~Ponyiowa


	19. Chapter 19: Getting Ready

So, here's finally Chapter 19! Sorry I wasn't able to upload before (it's been like, a month), but as you might have heard if you go on WillowClan-and if you don't, check it out, please-my dad has turned off the internet for three weeks. Grr. -_- But it's finally back, and so here is Chapter 19!

xXJayfeatherXx: Thanks, Jay! :D

Anon: Well, I've updated! (Sooner or later. :P)

Smurflover: Thanks! :)

SakuraFlutist: Heh heh, sorry. I'm being a bit slow on the updates lately, haven't I?

Mizumaru2312: Thanks for reminding me of that; I forgot. :)

Stormfeather of IceClan: Awww, thanks! :D

Mochikins: I switched it, thanks. And yeah, it IS a big adventure. :P

Hi10000000: You pretty much got it right; I wasn't very subtle about that, though. :P Thanks for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.**

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><p><span>Chapter 19: Getting Ready<span>

It was the day after the battle, and Honeyleaf was working Dawnpaw to death.

"Lunge!" Dawnpaw lunged.

"Twist!" Dawnpaw twisted.

"Pounce!" Dawnpaw pounced, using her method of pretending the leaf was the enemy. _The enemy…_ She felt the rush of air as imaginary jaws reached for her throat and growled, tearing into the poor plant with more vigor than she'd ever exerted.

"Good job, Dawnpaw!" congratulated her mentor as the golden she-cat panted and looked at the shredded remains of the leaf at her paws.

Dawnpaw managed a smile and waited for the next command that would surely come. Of course, she was right.

"Now, leap! See if you can touch that tree."

Dawnpaw took a deep breath and bunched her legs, preparing for the jump. Then she leapt, putting all the power she could into the thrust that sent her flying into the air. She skidded to a stop at the said tree, claws raking slivers of wood off the bark.

Honeyleaf was pleased. "_Good_ job!" she purred. "Now do a stalking position. Don't let me see a limb out of place."

Dawnpaw did what she said, settling into the FireClan stalking position Honeyleaf had taught her beforehand.

Her mentor then placed a fresh leaf in front of her a few fox-lengths away, making it so that Dawnpaw would have to go through a growth of exceptionally tall grass to reach the leaf. "I'm going to turn my back," she said. "Your job is to get to the leaf without me seeing any flash of movement or a disturbance out of the corner of my eye."

Dawnpaw nodded, and Honeyleaf turned around. "Begin."

She tensed her muscles to a rigid state and slowly began padding through the grass. The long late newleaf grass tickled her belly, and she fought the urge to shake her pelt like a wet dog to get rid of the annoying feeling. _Keep going…keep going…_ The wind brought one particularly long strand of green up to tease at the soft fur of her throat, and inadvertently, Dawnpaw shuddered.

Honeyleaf's tail twitched but she didn't turn around.

Dawnpaw mentally groaned and gritted her teeth. Stupid, stupid, she thought. You can do this. She pushed herself through the patch of grass step by step until she finally emerged, stifling the urge to let out a whoop and roll on the ground to get that tingly feeling off her pelt. She didn't like the way the grass tickled.

She reached the leaf and felt a surge of triumph. "I did it!" she announced.

"Very good," the ginger she-cat praised her, spinning around to face Dawnpaw. "There was one bit where you messed up, but that's fine for now. Let's call it a day, shall we?"

Dawnpaw nodded again and accepted the praise, though feeling a small rumble of displeasure rise up inside her. _It's not my fault I flinched! Stupid Stormpaw…_

Honeyleaf began walking toward the entrance of the FireClan camp, and Dawnpaw followed. "You did very well today," she said. "Tomorrow, let's see if you can exceed that." A flash of movement unfolded in the corner of Dawnpaw's eye, and she hesitated for one moment when she thought she saw someone peeking out of the bushes, but then continued after her mentor.

"Okay," Dawnpaw agreed, and smiled. Maybe Honeyleaf would even show her how to incapacitate an enemy. She had one in mind that the move would be absolutely _perfect_ to use on.

* * *

><p>"So I heard that Snowstar allowed the apprentices to go on the journey! That's fantastic! And to think that I'm the mentor of one of the apprentices!"<p>

Stormpaw padded reluctantly after his mentor, wondering when she was going to start actually teaching him. He would never catch up to Dawnpaw if Bluetail spent the whole time blabbering. _She wouldn't have to teach you how to kill, though, _a little voice reminded him in his head. _You already know how to do that._

Stormpaw felt a hot rush of shame up his pelt and shook his head, brushing off the thought. _It's not my fault she was being so annoying._

_And yet you were the one who started the fight in the first place._

"I'm so proud. I mean, it's bad that Snowstar lost the battle, but I wasn't there—it obviously would have had a different turnout if _I_ was there—but it was pretty stupid not to let you guys go. Plus, he was up against two leaders, so he was outnumbered though he only fought FireClan. So yep, he was going to lose anyway," concluded Bluetail.

_Perhaps if Bluetail dies, StarClan will kick her out and reincarnate her as a babbling stream,_ mused Stormpaw, feeling only a slight twinge of guilt at the thought. It was obvious that Bluetail only wanted to use him as listen-to-me-talk-but-don't-talk object. No wait, that'd be bad. The stream would run loudly all day and you wouldn't be able shut it up. After all, you couldn't exactly kill a stream.

Bluetail suddenly stopped and turned around, and Stormpaw had to backpedal to keep from crashing into her. "Now show me your fighting stance," she demanded.

Stormpaw had been so used to listening to Bluetail talk and do nothing else that he was taken aback. "What-?"

"Show me your fighting stance," she repeated.

He didn't really know what to do, so he decided to go into a crouching position.

"Shoulders a bit lower," ordered Bluetail. "Drop your rear; you look like a dog wagging your tail. Head up, how can you attack your enemy when you're staring at the ground?"

Stormpaw immediately fixed his position; this new Bluetail was _scary_. He didn't know whether he liked the talkative one or the new, demanding version.

Bluetail's mouth curled into a smile. "Good job." Then, "Now climb up and down that tree as fast as you can."

Before he could ask "Why?" she barked, "Go!"

He went.

Up and up the tree he climbed, digging his claws into the bark and painfully wrenching them out again, only to sink them back into the bark. He'd only climbed trees a couple times before, and he wasn't very good at it. When he finally reached the top and looked down through the leafy foliage, Bluetail shouted, "Now down!" Stormpaw groaned and slowly began climbing down the tree back paws first, trying not to slide down to the ground in a heap.

When he reached the ground, Bluetail told him to run to the IceClan border and back. Five times.

"Wha-?"

"Go!"

He went.

After a long, exhausting run, he finally finished the five laps and collapsed into a heap at the blue-gray she-cat's paws. "Am I done yet?"

"No. Now go back to the camp and fetch me a piece of prey."

"What the—?" Stormpaw was pretty sure that wasn't a way to train apprentices. For a second, he thought he heard a snicker echo from behind a rock, but when he looked, nothing seemed out of place.

"GO!"

He went.

* * *

><p>In the WaterClan territory, Rowanpaw was being trained with both his mentor, Pebblestep, and his sister's mentor, Tawnyspot. Of course, his sister was there too. Streamstar had decided that since their only two apprentices were going on the quest, they might as well been trained together. The newest warriors, Splashnose, Lakeberry, Thistlemask, and Frogleap had been demoted to apprentice duties, and Lakeberry, a pretty white she-cat with green eyes, now spent her free time moaning about how unfair it was.<p>

Rowanpaw considered this statement to be true, of course, but thought that it was a waste of Lakeberry's time to go around expressing such an obvious idea. She and the other former apprentices would have to clean the elders of their ticks and take up their apprentice duties anyway once they were gone, so what harm was it to start one moon earlier?

Pebblestep, a dark gray tom, and Tawnyspot, a black-brown-and-white she-cat, had decided that today they would teach them how to fish. Oh, of course they knew how to already, to an extent, but to ensure full bellies on the journey, they would need to master the skill of getting a fish nearly every time. And so the mentors and their two apprentices were crouched at the large river that ran parallel to FireClan's and WaterClan's border.

Rowanpaw leaned down at the edge of the water and watched intently. He thought he saw a flash of silver scales, but by the time he swiped at it, it was already gone.

His mentor leaned down beside him. "You almost got it," he said gently.

Rowanpaw nodded, but his stomach was a pit of disappointment. His sister had already gotten two fish! He looked to the left where Flowerpaw was scooping out yet another squirming fish. _Make that three_, he thought wearily.

Pebblestep caught his glance and smiled encouragingly. "Let's go over the steps again," he suggested. "First, you watch and wait. Then, when you see a fish, you swipe. Remember to go deeper than you perceive the fish to be because you have to hook your claws under it and bring it up. Then you flip it onto the bank and kill it."

It sounded so easy…but it wasn't. Rowanpaw tried for yet another fish and missed, while Flowerpaw caught her fourth. _Aaaargh!_

"How are you catching all those fish?" he asked his sister grumpily.

A delighted beam appeared on Flowerpaw's face, and he groaned. She just loved rubbing in his face the things that he couldn't do that she could do. "With a secret method that you will never learn."

Rowanpaw let out a humph and turned back to the problem at hand. "Stupid fish," he muttered, crouching down to stare at the silvery water reproachfully. He was watching the water rush by when he suddenly felt a push on his back, sending him tumbling into the river with a terrific splash.

He came up for air with a gasp, paws churning the water into a mini whirlpool. He clutched for the bank and was relieved when Pebblestep grasped his ruff and pulled him up. Collapsed into a wet heap on the ground, he commenced to hacking and coughing the water up. But there was something still stuck in his throat…

Pebblestep thwacked him on the back with a paw and the thing came flying out. "Thank StarClan!" he gasped, coughing to get the last drops of water out.

When he finally recovered, he sat up, tucking his paws under him, and looked around with a glare. "Who did that?" His sister had a scared expression on her face, but when she saw him alive and frowning, she cracked up laughing.

"Flowerpaw!"

"Sorry, but at least you caught a fish!"

"What?"

"Look!" She pointed with one paw.

There was indeed a small tiny fish flopping on the wet dirt next to his paws. As he watched, it slowly stopped, gills heaving in the air, then stilled. "Hey, I did!" He hooked one claw under the motionless gills and lifted it into the air, peering into its glassy eyes. "Though I doubt anyone would want to eat it, it having been down my throat after all, and it's so tiny, but I caught one!"

"Perhaps I can push you in the water again and see if you catch another one…?" Flowerpaw began, a sneaky glint in her eye, but Rowanpaw cuffed her on the ear. "Don't you dare," he threatened, "or else you might find yourself with a mouse stuffed down your throat!"

The light brown she-cat recoiled with a hiss of disgust. "Eww, no!"

Throughout this time both mentors had been silent, watching the siblings banter, but now Pebblestep broke in with, "We'll continue this tomorrow. You did very well for your first time."

However, Flowerpaw's mentor Tawnyspot shook her head, a twinkle in her eye. "Nope, tomorrow we'll be teaching you how to swim instead."

Rowanpaw almost swore he heard someone laughing from in the cluster of reeds that sprouted from the river's bottom, but when he looked, there was nothing but a ripple breaking the pristine surface of the water. "Okay," Rowanpaw said, and Flowerpaw voiced a similar sentence. "But this time, Flowerpaw's going first."

"_Awww_ Rowanpaw!"

* * *

><p>All moon, the scarred gray-and-white she-cat hid in the shadows and watched the apprentices train. All moon, she observed their failures, their successes, their accomplishments, their amount of vigor and their ability to bounce back. All moon, she evaluated them, testing them mentally in her mind to see if they would measure up to the hardships that would be put upon them on the journey and in the camp of Scar itself. She hoped that they would be ready. Would one moon be enough? But when the appointed time arrived and they had trained to their fullest, she was able to say to herself that it was. Almost, anyway.<p>

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><p>Who likes the new Bluetail? Or do you still like the old one? :P I had the POV in Rowanpaw again; he hasn't appeared for a while. I hope you guys are still reading this, and I'll update soon! (I already have the next chapter written out.)<p>

~Ponyiowa


	20. Chapter 20: First Impressions

**This chapter is dedicated to Jay and Shadowmist for backing me up in their reviews. :)**

Hey guys, I'm sorry for not updating sooner... But here it is.

xXJayfeatherXx: Yep! :P

SakuraFlutist: Aww, thank you! :3

RangeroftheForest: Thank you. I'm a sucker for love-hate relationships too. (That's why I'm writing this. XD)

Smurlover: Thanks! :D

Random Falcon: I'll try to put that in later...somehow... *thinks*

Mizumaru2312: Oh, that wasn't because of the doc manager. Is stuff like that supposed to be spaced? I dunno...

Shadowmist1999: Thank you, Shadowmist. :)

Mochikins: Oh, so you like the old Bluetail? Hmm-Old Bluetail: 1. New Bluetail: 1. Tie! XD

Now, for the grand finale...my first flame! The one I've been waiting for since I started this fanfic! OMG! OMG! OMG!

Just kidding.

But seriously, this is my first flame. So everyone, meet my first flamer, Hatergurl! She's an anonymous reviewer who for some reason feels that_ Everything but Nothing_ is not up to her standards.

This is what her review said:

_u don't diserve the reviews you get ponyiowa. You make us wait months at a time and then u give a crappy chapter! You suck, and so does ur story_

Now, wasn't that a nice review? Here's my reply:

**Hi, Hatergurl. Now, you seem to have gotten yourself mixed up. I only didn't update for more than a month one time, and, may I dare to say, my chapter was not crappy. What part did you not like, honey? Did you not like the new Bluetail? Was Flowerpaw too mean for pushing her brother in the river, hmm? May I also mention, darling: I am not a factory. I have a life. And sometimes writers get writer's block, did you know that? I doubt you would, though, since you don't know how to write 'you' and 'your' instead of 'u' and 'ur'. **

**In case you're wondering where your second and third reviews went...well, I deleted them. Please don't presume to know about my love life, sweetie, focus on your own broken life right now. :3 If you can't be civil, then I'll just delete your reviews and ignore you, or turn off anonymous reviewing entirely.**

**By the way, honey, you spelled 'deserve' wrong. It's not 'diserve', it's 'deserve'. Next time, work on your spelling before you go rant about someone else's work. Oh wait, don't do that. You might hurt your head.**

**Bai now~ :3**

-End Reply- Sorry that you had to see that, guys... Flames are annoying. 'Specially when the person can't spell.

**Disclaimer: You know what? I'm tired of doing the disclaimers. Here it is, my last disclaimer of all time for EBN... I do not own Warriors. There. Happy?**

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><p><span>Chapter 20: First Impressions<span>

It was sunhigh, and a moon had passed. And so, the three leaders of FireClan, IceClan, and WaterClan were escorting their chosen apprentices to the Gathering clearing.

Smokestar wished his apprentices best of luck before he left them padding restlessly around their clearing. Streamstar told her apprentices to try their best before she, too, left. However, Snowstar practically dumped his apprentices there and then stalked off without a parting word. Apparently, he was still sore about losing the battle.

Dawnpaw and Emberpaw arrived first, so Dawnpaw had the advantage of watching everyone else arrive. Emberpaw, still sleepy-eyed, circled around a few times, and then lay down among the roots of the great red oak and went right back to sleep, but Dawnpaw paced around anxiously. If she was going to be on a journey with some cats she didn't know, she might as well observe them as much as she could. Of course, she thought with a curling lip, she already knew Stormpaw and Dapplepaw enough. No need to get any closer.

The WaterClan apprentices were next, with Streamstar leading them. She gave them some encouraging words, then left. The two WaterClan apprentices were a ginger-and-white tom and a light brown she-cat—siblings, Dawnpaw remembered, Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw, from the Gathering. Though their pelt colors weren't very similar, their build was similar: a slight frame with shiny, sleek-furred pelts, though Rowanpaw was a bit more muscled. They ignored Dawnpaw and the sleeping Emberpaw, and instead spent the time leaping and pouncing at each other playfully, being siblings, after all. Dawnpaw decided that they seemed nice.

Now that the WaterClan apprentices had arrived, Dawnpaw knew that the inevitable would come and that Stormpaw and Dapplepaw would arrive soon. She growled under her breath and then settled down to wait.

Sure enough, soon Snowstar stomped into the clearing, Dapplepaw after him and with Stormpaw somewhere behind. But as soon as he stepped in, the large white tom turned abruptly around and left, obviously in a bad mood. The dappled apprentice was bright eyed and energetic, but when she saw Dawnpaw glaring at her and the WaterClan apprentices too busy with their games to even look at her, she went over to the tree and curled up, shut her eyes, and seemed to go to sleep—ignoring them in turn.

Dawnpaw waited for Stormpaw to come.

And in a few moments, a dark gray tom padded into the clearing, looking around with sharp ice blue eyes taking in every inch of his surroundings. He was quite awake and alert, which Dawnpaw found annoying. She herself was still a bit sleepy, and she would have loved to catch him stumbling around like a little kit because he hadn't gotten enough sleep yet. But it seemed that he had.

His eyes had flickered around for a few seconds before they finally fastened onto her. A delighted grin appeared, and he took a few teasing steps toward her. Involuntarily, she drew in her head, pulling her shoulders around her to better protect the soft flesh of her throat.

He laughed, and her pelt flushed hot. "You look like a turtle." Then he continued on his way toward the red oak—his original path, before Dawnpaw had stopped him in his tracks with the ridiculous act of pulling in her neck.

Before she could stop herself, Dawnpaw asked, "What's a turtle?"

The stormy-pelted apprentice turned toward her with just the faintest of a smirk on his face. He angled his head toward the tumbling WaterClan apprentices. "Ask one of them." And then he went the rest of the way to the Great Oak, where he sat upon the biggest root and sat, simply watching, like a stone-faced leader.

Dawnpaw released her rigid position and let her shoulders relax. "Stupid mousebrain," she muttered under her breath. She wondered about the turtle remark, and looked at Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw, who were still play-fighting, and thought it might be worth a try.

She padded over to them and immediately got knocked to the ground by the light brown she-cat, who had been aiming to knock her brother down instead when Dawnpaw had walked into their midst. Dawnpaw heard someone chuckle from behind her, and decided that she would get him back for that.

The WaterClan she-cat sprung up. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she gasped. "I was just trying to push my brother down because he hit me on my ear!"

Her brother sat up, flicking his ginger-and-white tail back and forth. "That's only because _you_ bit me on the tail."

"Well, you _sat_ on me! My beautiful pelt got ruined. I spent a lot of time washing it this morning, you know!" Dawnpaw felt that this last remark was just for play, and exaggerated at that.

"And I did that because _you_ told me that you were going to tell Mother that I took the best fish in the pile that morning!

"Well, I caught that fish, and I wanted to see some warrior eat it, not you stuffing your face with it!"

Rowanpaw's jaw dropped in outrage. "I did not stuff my face with it! I ate it nicely."

"Yes, you did," insisted Flowerpaw. "You gobbled it down like a FireClan cat—"

Their banter abruptly stopped as they remembered that a FireClan cat was standing right before them, listening to their conversation.

Rowanpaw was the first to break the awkward silence that followed. He stood up and said apologetically, "I'm sorry you had to hear that. I apologize for my sister's rudeness. You may now call her fishbreath anytime you like."

His sister batted him on the ear. "Hey—!"

Rowanpaw put a paw on the side of Flowerpaw's head and waited for Dawnpaw's answer while Flowerpaw's paws churned the air, trying to get out from under her brother's firm hold.

Dawnpaw felt as if she was being overwhelmed all at once. "Um, that's alright…," she managed.

The WaterClan she-cat ducked out from under her brother's paw, sending him onto his side from the sudden lack of resistance under his paw. "Ha!" she crowed, putting one foot on his flank. "Oh, and, um, thanks…" She trailed off.

"Dawnpaw," a voice came from behind her.

They all looked to see Stormpaw standing behind her. "And I am Stormpaw," he announced coolly.

Flowerpaw blatantly ignored the dark gray apprentice. "So what's your name again?"

Dawnpaw would have paid a million birds to see Stormpaw's jaw drop again over Flowerpaw's rudeness.

"Dawnpaw," she said, trying to hold back the dam of laughter that was threatening to slip over. "My name's Dawnpaw."

Flowerpaw nodded. "Nice. I'm Flowerpaw, and this"—she indicated the ginger-and-white WaterClan apprentice squirming beneath her—"is unfortunately my brother, Rowanpaw."

The ginger-and-white tom stopped struggling for a second to glare up at her. "Excuse me, my dear sister? Just yesterday, when I gave you a frog, you told me that I was the best brother in the whole world!"

Dawnpaw couldn't help wrinkling her nose. Frogs?

"You're my only brother," said Flowerpaw indifferently. "So it's not like I can compare you to anyone else."

Rowanpaw frowned. "But technically then, I'm both your worst and best brother at the same time. How does that work? I admit that I can be a bit selfish sometimes, but I'm not a bad brother…"

Flowerpaw clamped a paw over Rowanpaw's mouth and his words snuffed out. "Don't listen to him," she told Dawnpaw wisely. "He sometimes goes off talking about things that none of us can understand."

Rowanpaw spit out his sister's paw. "What do you mean? It's understandable that—"

"Well, are you going to ask them or not?" Stormpaw broke in impatiently, apparently having finally recovered from the unforgivable rudeness of Flowerpaw.

Flowerpaw tilted her head to one side. "Ask what?"

"Oh, yeah," said Dawnpaw as she remembered the reason why she was standing here. "What's a turtle?"

Rowanpaw started laughing.

"What?" asked Dawnpaw confusedly. It wasn't that funny…was it?

"Oh, a turtle is just this animal that lives in water in a hard shell. When it's scared, it pulls its head and legs in so that you can't hurt it."

Dawnpaw turned to glare at Stormpaw, who stuck his tongue out at her quite immaturely.

Oblivious, the ginger-and-white WaterClan tom continued on. "But what your question made me think about was that time when Flowerpaw was only four moons old, and tried to catch a turtle."

Flowerpaw's eyes went wide. "Rowanpaw, don't you dare—"

Her brother went on delightedly. "She was faster than the turtle—turtles are very slow creatures—but it could hide in its shell. So when my silly sister picked it up, it retreated into her shell. She turned it over and over, wondering where it had gone. Finally she spun it backward between her legs, trying to get the turtle to come out again, but as it went sailing through the air, the turtle popped its head back out and chomped onto Flowerpaw's tail!"

The brown apprentice sat on the ground and covered her ears with her paws. "_Rowanpaw_!"

Rowanpaw finished the last bit of the story, grinning at his sister's obvious embarrassment. "She squealed like a—"

"You are the worst brother ever," said Flowerpaw decidedly.

"She squealed like a Twoleg!" announced the ginger-and-white tom gleefully.

Flowerpaw let out a horrified wail and buried her face in her chest. "I'm _never _letting you eat the fish I catch again!"

Stormpaw let out a brusque laugh. "Great story."

Apparently the story had been for Dawnpaw's ears only, for Flowerpaw lifted up her head and glared at Stormpaw, and Rowanpaw pretended to look around confusedly. "Did anyone hear that bug? It's really annoying."

Dawnpaw decided that she liked these cats very much. This time, she didn't bother to hide her laughter, and now Stormpaw looked as if he wanted to tear off all three of their heads and feed them to foxes. No wait—he looked as if he wanted to tear off all three of their heads, let the foxes have them, and then give the leftovers to dogs.

The dark gray tom tried to come up with a scathing remark, but found nothing. "Well, I'll see you around," he said and turned his back to stalk off angrily.

"You will!" yelled Flowerpaw after him. "We're going on a journey together, REMEMBER?"

Dawnpaw could have happily given Flowerpaw all her meals for a moon.

Stormpaw spun around while still walking, a glare in his ice blue eyes. "Of course I remember, you mousebrained Two—"

Suddenly, his insult turned into a surprised "Oof!" as he crashed into a cat behind him.

"A mousebrained Twoleg?" asked a voice amusedly, the owner of the voice seeming to have appeared out of nowhere. The gray-and-white she-cat looked down at the IceClan apprentice in front of her. "That isn't very nice."

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><p>I enjoyed writing that. :3 Flowerpaw has a lot of fire in her, doesn't she?<p>

Review...please? *puppy eyes*

~Ponyiowa


	21. Chapter 21: Setting Off

Yesterday was my last day of school! So, I'm celebrating by updating. :D It seems like a lot of you liked Flowerpaw and Rowanpaw!

Smurflover: I know, right? Thank you for your support! :3

The Freak of Nature: That's fine, Nature. I just hope to see you soon there. ;) Thank you also for your support! :)

Mizumaru2312: *noms cookie* Shank yoom. X3 She does? Coincidences, huh. XD

RangeroftheForest: Poor Stormpaw. Don't worry, he and Dawnpaw will be getting pretty close soon. ;3 Well, the journey's starting in this chapter, so enjoy!

SakuraFlutist: I totally agree. XD Where's the nearest one? And thank you, Sakura! :3

Stormfeather of IceClan: Here's the update. :D

Sightless Silver Eyes: I wrote the first part as sort of a preamble, and then I detailed it more closely. Could you tell me in a PM how I should approach it/edit it so that it doesn't sound like I'm repeating myself?

Viper332: Thanks! I accept your apology. :) Here's the next chapter; I hope it was as good as the last one! :D

KodochaFan55: Thank you so much, KodochanFan55! :D

TheHelper3440: Thank you! :) I feel sorry for them, too. :P

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><p><span>Chapter 21: Setting Off<span>

Stormpaw stared at the she-cat towering above him. "I—I…," he stammered, suddenly at a loss for words for perhaps one of the few times in his life so far—which didn't amount to much, as he was only seven moons old, but still.

The she-cat smiled politely at him for a moment, then moved gracefully past him to gaze upon the rest of the apprentices, who were observing the scene quietly.

"I am Mist," she announced in a lilting voice, which Stormpaw found unnecessary. Who else could move such in an unseen manner, so quiet and shadowlike? "I'll accompany you to Scar's camp," she continued in that same melodic tone. "Once there, I'll guide your decisions, hone your reactions, and teach you what you do, to make sure none of you slip up. If you do, the consequences may be fatal, to both you and your Clans." There was neither fear nor sympathy in her eyes as she gave them the warning, and Stormpaw watched Dawnpaw swallow hard, an action that he desperately want to mirror, but quashed down his fear.

"Now, even as apprentices from different Clans, you six will have to be a team. Without that, without being united, you will fall. And so will your Clans. And the whole point of this is to prevent that, no?"

Somehow, Stormpaw felt as though she was warning him, but not as a simple rebuke; instead, it almost sounded like _Misstep and die_.

In the waiting silence that followed, Rowanpaw stepped forward and nodded. "Yes, we understand," he said, speaking for the others.

Mist nodded back. "Very well. Now, the journey ahead will take a half-moon at least. During this time, practice your fighting techniques. You will need them to impress the higher-positioned cats in Scar's camp, who will have a great amount of say in whether you will say or not. "

Mist hadn't mentioned how long the journey would take, nor that Scar might even not accept them at all, at the Gathering. What else hadn't she told them? wondered Stormpaw.

The gray-and-white she-cat waited for Rowanpaw's nod, then flicked her tail. "I now warn you that this mission will push you to your very limits. You will learn new things, yet witness harsh events that, if you were not here in this very clearing in front of me, would most likely not see in your entire lifetime. Scar is not fond of cats who do not behave, and she is quick to punish those who put one paw out of line, accidentally or not."

She paused to let them take this all in, and then said, "That is all I will tell you for now. You will be told more as we get closer to Scar's camp." She began padding out of the clearing. "Come; our journey is starting."

When none of them moved, she frowned and flicked her tail again, this time more sharply. "_Come_." Once more, Rowanpaw stepped forward, moving to place himself at her heels, and the rest of the apprentices followed her slowly, their heads muddled with all the new information. And as for Stormpaw, the only thing _he_ was thinking was:

_Well, that was rather anticlimactic._

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><p>Dawnpaw walked amiably alongside Flowerpaw and Rowanpaw, talking with them. She found the two apprentices to be interesting and very friendly, and was pleased to find that upon meeting the obnoxious tom, they too now shared her dislike of Stormpaw.<p>

Rowanpaw was currently discussing what hardships they might face with Flowerpaw. Even though she'd only known him for not even a sunrise, she had begun to realize that Rowanpaw was a cat who liked discussing things in a logical way, and that this in turn led to him appearing very intelligent. In addition, he was quick to defend his sister and Clan if need be, and was very apt in exchanging insults. And sure enough, after they'd been walking for a long while, Dawnpaw got to watch Rowanpaw's intellect and sharp tongue when Stormpaw decided to make a fool of himself. The dark gray tom padded up to the threesome, a sneer showing openly on his face.

"Oh hey look," he said. "It's the WaterClan scum with their new friend."

Dawnpaw was ready to claw his face off when Rowanpaw broke off his conversation with Flowerpaw to glance briefly at Stormpaw, then turn back to his sister with a, "Oh hey look, it's that annoying bug that won't leave us alone. Perhaps we should swat it?"

Now Stormpaw was the one who looked ready to claw someone's face off. His stormy-pelted fur bushed up, and claws shot out. But it was all in vain, for he seemed to not be able to find a good enough comeback. Luckily for him, Dapplepaw appeared, weaving like a snake at his side.

"Shut up," she hissed. "Filthy water fleabags."

But instead of hissing back, or at least frowning— both reactions that Dawnpaw would have done—a slight smile appeared on Rowanpaw's face. "Ah, and because he can't find a good enough comeback, his mate comes to his rescue instead. Where are the kits, by the way?"

Dapplepaw growled, her own spotted fur bushing up.

At this moment, Emberpaw decided to join in the conversation. It was inevitable that he would do so; for one thing, he was the only one of them left who wasn't involved in the argument yet, and second, he was always eager to get involved with whatever was new in FireClan, and it was the same here. "What's happening?" he asked inquisitively from behind, quickening his stride to join them.

Dawnpaw rolled her eyes. Now all six apprentices were bunched together in a soon-to-be-fight. Surely Mist would turn around sometime and notice? But no; the gray-and-white she-cat kept walking ahead, her back to them, her step slow and steady. She's probably ignoring us because she doesn't want to get into all the drama, Dawnpaw thought. No doubt she'll turn around as soon as the clawing starts.

"Nothing much, just that a couple bugs have taken to annoying us," said Rowanpaw.

"One more word out of your mouth and I'll…," started Dapplepaw, but trailed off weakly when she couldn't find anything to threaten Rowanpaw with.

Rowanpaw shrugged to Emberpaw. "See? You can't get rid of them."

"You—" Stormpaw growled, his hackles rising in anger and then falling when he couldn't dredge up a good enough insult.

"And they can't seem to finish their sentences, either," remarked the ginger-and-white WaterClan tom. "Poor things." He looked at Emberpaw with concern in his eyes. "Do you think there's still hope for them?"

Dapplepaw was already bunching up her muscles to leap at Rowanpaw, hissing angrily, when the tip of a tail touched her on her head, lightly but firmly, stopping her in her place. "You," said the owner of the tail. "Calm down. This is not a thing important enough to be disputing over. Have you already forgotten my warning not to fight?"

The she-cat then turned to Rowanpaw; the confident look was already gone from the ginger-and-white apprentice's eyes as he waited for his rebuke. "And you," she said. "Yes, I know that these other apprentices may not be your favorite travelling companions. However, in order to let this mission succeed, you must put aside your disagreements or whatever petty apprentice things you enjoy squabbling over, and unite as a whole. Do you hear me?"

"I do," said Rowanpaw quietly, dipping his head in submission.

"Yes," echoed Dapplepaw.

Mist smiled, and the strict demeanor left her, partly anyway, and said, "Good, then. Now let us get on our way. Come." She began padding once again without looking back, and the apprentices followed her quietly without speaking, hushed by her stern words. It wasn't long, however, before they began conversing again, this time more civilly, but angry nonetheless.

"You got me in trouble before even half a sunrise passed!" fumed Dapplepaw. "Watch out, or next time I'll—"

Rowanpaw sighed. "And you've already forgotten. Are you deaf, or simply oblivious whenever she tells us not to fight?"

Dapplepaw opened her mouth, then closed it, like a fish gasping for air. She seemed to be thinking of something to say, but then wisely decided to keep her mouth shut. Good thing, Dawnpaw thought, she might have scratched Dapplepaw if she'd said one more thing, being "united" or not.

The apprentices continued silently after Mist, padding after the gray-and-white she-act until night finally fell. Then they found shelter in the roots of a large oak and all curled up to sleep.

Even after Mist's lectures, the apprentices still were divided. Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw settled down in a little niche made by the length of one root curling up from the ground for a few tail-lengths, and Dapplepaw chose the most comfortable place she could find, though, by some strange coincidence, it was unusually far away from the niche the WaterClan apprentices were nestled in. Emberpaw flopped down and fell asleep as soon as he got inside the shelter of the roots, and Stormpaw appraised the possible resting places carefully, finally settling down on the largest root, a spot that put him above everyone else. And as for Dawnpaw, she selected a place that was far, _far _away from a certain tom.

They were too tired to even notice that Mist had slipped away for the night.

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><p>Short, I know, but it's only beginning. Review? ;D<p>

~Ponyiowa


	22. Chapter 22: Pairing Up

I know, I know; it's summer, I should have updated sooner. I'm sorry, I was really busy! D: But here's a nice long chapter for you guys to enjoy. :3 Oh, and I put up a poll on my profile yesterday, and three people have voted already, though I didn't tell anyone! If you haven't voted yet, please do so. And if you haven't read _Phoenix_, I suggest you do so that you can truthfully answer the question. ;3

Star's Song: Perhaps she is... ;)

Silver Moonlit-Skies: Rowanpaw _is_ epic, isn't he? *nods* And thanks for your support! :D

SakuraFlutist: With plenty of conflict and banter! XD

Bubblestar: Aww, thank you! I'm still using Daisytail, though. P:

TheHelper3440: Soon, my friend. Soooon. There are going to be little hints scattered through the next chapters, and I'm really excited to write it because fluff is just so much fun! :3 And your favorite character is Stormpaw? Cool. :D Thanks for your support; and your stories are pretty good! I've read a few of them. ;)

NoReaSoN2CaR3: Thanks! And your pen name's pretty cool. :)

Stormfeather of IceClan: Lol, yeah. She's pretty good at dealing with the fights, though. :P

Purple Penguin's Mist: Well, part of your name is 'Mist'! Coincidences, coincidences. :O

Ranger of the Forest: Oh, I forgot part of the sentence! -_- Silly me. Thanks for saying so! :)

Mizumaru2312: Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw are awesome indeed. :D Thanks for telling me! And...you lost the other typo? No, I must find it! *combs through chapter*

Smurflover: Thanks for the review!

Cherry: Don't worry, the other apprentices will be friendlier to Stormpaw and Dapplepaw after a while. Not including Dawnpaw, of course. P:

The Goddess of Darkness: Yay, you've come back! :D And I did. ;P

**And... Drumroll please... My flamer has returned! OMG, woo-hoo! This time, her review was more civil, so I'll acknowledge it and be less brusque when picking it into little tiny pieces. Here it is:**

**_interesting comments pony. i respect ur fire. i didnt appreciate u exposing my comment to the whole world, but i guess i disserv it. I am quite a devil, arent i? urstory is... improving... well, by for now.. :D_**

**My reply:  
><strong>

**[interesting comments pony. i respect ur fire.] **Why, thank you. **[i didnt appreciate u exposing my comment to the whole world, but i guess i disserv it. I am quite a devil, arent i?] **Not the whole world. Just to anyone who stumbled upon Chapter 20 of my story and decided to read the author's note. 8U And yes, you do deserve it-again, please learn how to spell the word 'deserve'-and yes, you are 'quite a devil.' **[urstory is... improving... well, by for now.. :D]** Like I said last time, these kind of comments are confusing and vague. What's wrong for my story? Please say so specifically, not just stuff like "OMG ur story sucks sooo bad!1!1"**  
><strong>

**And then she submitted another review with part of a story. I'm omitting the story, of course, since it's too long, but here's the message along with the story: **

**_here's what a real story sounds like:_  
><strong>

**After that, the story began.  
><strong>

**My reply to that:  
><strong>

**A _real _story? Darling, these are fanfics. If you can call stories 'real' and 'fake', then 'real stories' technically applies to the canon Warriors, which we're just leeching off of. And all stories are real stories-if you have a plot, characters, an interesting start, an interesting middle, and a perfect ending. And the last time I checked, my story's going to have all of that, and already has an exciting start, is in the middle of having an interesting middle, and a perfect ending. The main point is, if a story's complete and has fairly good grammar and spelling, then it's a 'real' story.**

**But I'm wondering. Did you actually make that story up, or did you copy it off of a fanfic or some other site? Because, excuse my cynicism, it doesn't seem like someone like you could write a story like that. I suspect though, that you could easily lie and say that you did write it, but answer truthfully, please. There's really no point to lying.**

**And please, just make an account so we could PM each other and I won't have to waste space on my stories. It's really irritating. **  
><strong><br>Oh, and: Darling, Moon- cannot be used as a name. Bye for now~  
><strong>

Again, my other readers, I'm sorry. I suspect you would rather read the story-unless you like watching this little debate, of course. Onto the story, now! ;D**  
><strong>

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><p><span>Chapter 22: Pairing Up<span>

Stormpaw yawned, flattening his ears back and stretching deeply as he started to wake up. The sun had already risen and was now warming his dark gray fur as he extended one front leg, then the other. His sleeping place had been comfortable, and, he observed as he finished stretching and surveyed the makeshift camp, a good look-out place. He could see for many tail-lengths around here.

He licked his fur, which had gotten ruffled during the night's sleep, and, with a small spark of self-pride, noted that all the other cats were still sleeping. Bluetail had trained him to fall asleep immediately, sleep light, and wake up early. It was clear that Dapplepaw's mentor had not taught her this, and neither had the other apprentices' mentors. He winced, remembering Bluetail's sudden change of heart. The snowflake-headed mentor had turned into an emotionless cat who commanded him to do anything and everything but jumping into the stream and taking a swim.

It wasn't that he was whining—his sore muscles and bruises already cried out every time he stretched too hard—it was that he simply wasn't prepared. Yes, that was it. In one sunrise, the babbling she-cat had transformed into a drill-barking leader. Climbing, jumping, running—and getting her some prey. The only thing she hadn't taught or bettered him at was swimming. And that was for WaterClan cats.

Remembering last day's insults, he frowned, scanning the area for the WaterClan apprentices. The two littermates were curled up together in the arch of one root, Flowerpaw snoring noisily. Stormpaw bared his teeth. Sure, they would have kits. Sure, he would act all lovey-dovey and warm-hearted. Sure, Dapplepaw would be his mate. When dogs _flew_, sure.

The spotted apprentice could be annoying some times, but not always. She wasn't hard to look at, nor was she outstandingly pretty. She was good at stalking, which he respected, but did not do well at running, which he now respected a lot since Bluetail had made him do hundreds and hundreds of nonstop laps to the IceClan border and back.

And, she was the only other IceClan cat in an otherwise group of hostile idiots.

Idiots because they failed to be nice to him and he felt like describing them as such, and hostile because they were. Mist, of course, was not included in this. He scanned the clearing again, looking for where each of the apprentices were. Emberpaw and Dapplepaw were in the spots they had settled into the night before, but Dawnpaw had moved even farther away from him, if that was possible. The she-cat's tail was barely visible, draped over a root on the far side of the tree.

And where was Mist? He hadn't seen her when he'd dropped off to sleep, and she wasn't here now. Maybe she was hiding on the other side of the tree?

He leapt off the root, landing on the ground with a soft thud. None of the apprentices woke up; only Dawnpaw's tail flicked a bit before going motionless. Stormpaw smiled. Bluetail's hard training had paid off. He would be the most prepared of the apprentices when they arrived at Scar's camp.

Stormpaw padded quietly around the tree and past Dawnpaw's sleeping form. Nothing. No dozing gray-and-white she-cat, or one that was up and awake, either. Maybe she was hunting? But surely she would have thought of the six apprentices she'd left behind. She hadn't even told them the night before that she would be gone; mayhem would definitely ensue if Rowanpaw, Dawnpaw, and the rest all woke up and found themselves missing a Mist.

He made his way back to his root, wondering what he would do now with everyone else asleep and Mist gone. When he'd woken up, he'd decided that he would talk to the gray-and-white she-cat; start to know what kind of cat she was and get a sense of the journey ahead. But now she was gone, should he simply sit and wait? On a whim, he decided that he'd hunt. None of the other apprentices showed any sign of waking soon, and if Mist got to leave unnoticed, then he should be able to. Even if Mist was their guide and technically could go anywhere she wanted to without warning.

Stormpaw bounded off of his root again, an emptiness in his stomach seconding his decision to eat, heading for the edge of the clearing. As his paws touched the hard ground, he noticed a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. A gray-and-white flicker. Mist. She was carrying something in her mouth, and he shifted his direction to greet her as she appeared out of the smaller trees ringing their sleeping place.

He hesitated as he drew closer; what would he say now? He should have prepared himself before he'd started toward her. Maybe now, he could ask her if he could go hunting.

In the time that he'd taken to think, the gray-and-white she-cat had brushed past him without a greeting and was now settling down into the place that she'd slept for the night-wait. Stormpaw frowned. He hadn't seen the exact place that she'd chosen to rest last night before he had fallen asleep, but of course she would have slept in the roots of the tree, too—she had led them there! Dismissing the thought, he made his way toward her, determined to ask her if he could go out and catch some prey. If he brought back a lot of fresh-kill, that might prove to her how dedicated he was to succeeding at this journey, and show her his skills.

She was eating a vole; as he approached she looked up, quickly swallowing the bite of food she had in her mouth. "Yes?"

"Could I go hunting?" Stormpaw asked, almost nervously.

Mist looked at him, pondering the question. Waiting, he shifted his paws, the ache in his empty stomach starting to pinch.

"No," she answered after a moment. He almost opened his jaws to complain—though he wasn't able to stop his growling stomach from protesting—but then thought better of it, shuffling his paws some more to cover up his slip. The corners of her mouth curled up, like she'd known that he might have protested, but Stormpaw didn't think that she did; he was very good at hiding his emotions. Except for when he was _angry _and _provoked_ by a certain _someone_, of course.

"But," she added, "We all will soon. You will see." She went back to consuming her vole carefully and tidily and didn't look up again. Stormpaw was dismissed.

He was very annoyed as he stalked back to his spot and sat stiffly on the large, high-curling root. Was he supposed to sit here awkwardly, with nothing to do, while the rest of the apprentices woke up? But then he heard the scuff of paws over rough bark, and a voice—

"Hey, can I go out to catch some prey?"

The golden-furred apprentice stood in front of Mist, her tail flicking. Again Mist paused—she was almost done with her vole—and then shook her head. "But soon, we all will," she promised. The FireClan she-cat nodded and then, after shooting a quick glance at Stormpaw, and instead of going back and sitting on her root like a _good_ little apprentice—promptly went over and started waking up every single sleeping cat around the tree.

First she prodded Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw in the ribs. Then she went over to Emberpaw and pushed him off his root. And lastly, she padded over to Dapplepaw and shouted something very loud in her ears. It was not so much of a wake-up call as a full-blown, incomprehensible yell, and the unfortunate spotted brown she-cat jerked up with a yowl, her tail lashing and her limbs rigid. Her fur bushed out, and her eyes were opened wide. "What? WHAT?" she panted.

Dawnpaw leaned over again. "Good morning," she said sweetly, then padded off to join Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw, who were beside themselves laughing.

Dapplepaw had all her claws out in panic, the sharp points digging into the earth again as she realized what Dawnpaw had done. Her anger was furthered when the golden-furred apprentice ignored her obvious rage, instead whispering something into Flowerpaw's ear, a something that made the light brown she-cat laugh. Dapplepaw's tail lashed even more fiercely. "You annoying FireClan cat! You disturbed my sleep! I'll—"

"I see you are all awake." Her voice slipped into place alongside Dapplepaw's threat, soft and easy as a wisp of mist, yet it stopped all other conversation like a thunderbolt. "Good. I didn't think you would be up yet, so I will have to heighten my expectations for you apprentices. You especially." Mist nodded her head at Dawnpaw, who looked taken back. "Very nice, waking everyone else up like that. Instead of simply waiting, you thought of what would make the hunting come faster, and took that option." At this, Dapplepaw bristled again, her displeasure etched clearly across her features. But the IceClan she-cat wasn't the only one who was mad.

Stormpaw unsheathed his claws and scraped them quietly across the width of his root to let out his annoyance. He had failed. He hadn't passed Mist's "test"; he had went to his root and took the option that _he_ thought was right, sitting quietly and waiting for everyone else to wake up. The only thing that made him angrier was that the very cat who had beaten him was Dawnpaw. It had to be Dawnpaw, didn't it? Fate had to make the second cat who woke up and actually passed the test Dawnpaw. It couldn't be Emberpaw, Dapplepaw, or even Rowanpaw. It just had to be the cat who was his enemy and would most probably parade her achievement around his head the moment Mist was out of earshot.

_Enough of that,_ he reprimanded himself. _You sound like a whiny kit. _He ignored the voice that chimed in, "You became an apprentice just one moon ago! Of course you're still a bit kit-like." _I'll get another chance to prove my worth soon, if Mist is the sort of cat I think she is. _

Down on the ground, Dawnpaw was dipping her head in return to Mist, silent thanks for the compliment. Mist flicked her ears in acknowledgement, then continued. "Now that you all are awake, it is time to go hunting." She paused, seeing Emberpaw perk up, then deflate in disappointment and confusion when she added, "But not in the way you are used to. As much as this is a basic procedure to secure food for yourselves, we will make this a bonding exercise, too. You will hunt in pairs, with a different partner every day, and catch one piece of prey each. Only one piece.

"Though this is early greenleaf, and some of you were no doubt wishing to take advantage of that, you must be in the top physical condition when you arrive at Scar's camp, and being as plump as kittypet isn't a factor. Be sure to keep your partner in your sights. When you finish catching your prey, return to camp. Then set it down by this root." She indicated the tip of a particularly large and curling root. "In order to further connect with each other, you may never eat your own prey, even if it is your favorite. You must take a piece of fresh-kill different than the one that you caught. Understood?" Each of the apprentices nodded.

The gray-and-white she-cat noticed Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw edging toward each other, and shook her head. "One more thing." The two siblings froze in their tracks. "Until one half-moon has passed, you must be partners with cats outside your Clan. There would be no point in this exercise if you're 'bonding' with cats you already know, yes? When one half-moon has gone, then you may choose to hunt with anyone you like. But until then, please partner up with someone who is not from your Clan. I'll expect you back soon." She leapt lightly up onto one root, done speaking but apparently determined to watch over their pairing-up.

On top his root, Stormpaw hesitated. He had been ready to go to Dapplepaw, as she was the only cat he could remotely look at without feeling a fierce claw of anger curling up in his belly. But then Mist had announced that they could not choose their own Clanmates. So what now? He ran over the possibilities. Not Dapplepaw, not Rowanpaw, not Flowerpaw, and definitely not Dawnpaw. Maybe he could ask Emberpaw, then…? But even as he came to this conclusion, he saw Rowanpaw pad over to the dark brown tom, and ask him something. The FireClan tom nodded, and the two stood together to wait for Mist's go-ahead. Flowerpaw and Dawnpaw also stood side-by-side, waiting.

And that left one spotted brown she-cat and one dark gray tom, who stood rooted to their places, also waiting, but in an awkward manner, for Mist to intervene. She did so, sighing deeply. "Apparently I need to repeat myself. You cannot choose to hunt with someone in your Clan until a half-moon has passed. And as mutual Clanmates now, you must take it upon yourself to make sure that everyone is paired up correctly. I'll step in this time, but next time you must do it yourself." She swept a bi-colored gaze over them, making Stormpaw squirm in discomfort.

"You." She nodded at Dawnpaw. Immediately afterward, "And you." She pointed to Stormpaw with her tail. "You're partners."

It took a few seconds for the information to sink into Stormpaw's brain. "What?" he yowled at the same time Dawnpaw shouted, "You're kidding!"

Mist was already directing Dapplepaw and Flowerpaw together; the two she-cats glared at each other in obvious displeasure, but not as fiercely as the anger that ran through Stormpaw's veins. "Yes? Is something the matter?" the she-cat asked. Her tone made it clear that this was a question you could only say "No" to.

Stormpaw swallowed back his complaints. "No," he said quietly.

Dawnpaw shook her head, her flicking tail the only indication that she had ever shouted out just a few minutes ago. "It's all fine. Can we go now?"

"Yes, you may." No sooner had the words left Mist's mouth than Stormpaw turned and began to pad angrily into the cluster of trees. Fate obviously had it out for him. First, meeting Dawnpaw and finding out that a cat like her actually _existed_. Second, having to go on the journey with her. Third, being beaten at Mist's test by her. And now this.

"StarClan must hate me," he muttered irately as he stalked into the cool, dark shade cast by the interlocked branches above.

Someone brushed past him, shoving his side a bit too hard for normal passing-by. "What was that?" Dawnpaw asked in a hard voice.

Stormpaw pushed down the anger that came rising up, bristling his fur to get rid of the feeling of Dawnpaw's touch.

"Nothing."

* * *

><p>Ooh, and now we see who said "StarClan hates me", the phrase from the summary! :O I originally was going to make it Dawnpaw, but then changed my mind when I wrote out this chapter. And the next chapter is going to be very interesting, no? ;) Review, please!<p>

~Ponyiowa


	23. Chapter 23: Hunting in Pairs

Hey, guys! I'm here with an update! :) Many of you expressed your thoughts that this chapter was going to be "absolutely hilarious," as one reader put it. Will it be? Wait and read. (Instead of "Wait and see." Ha ha, get it? Yeah? P:)

Anyhoo, I just want to say that this chapter is absolutely _massive_. Excluding author notes and such, it's exactly 4, 520 words. It's longer than any of my EBN or _Phoenix_ chapters from before. So find a snack to chew on while you read, get nice and comfortable, and then begin. And of course, I still expect a good review at the end. ;P

Smurflover: Lol, thanks! :P

Stormfeather of IceClan: There'll be some parts from his POV in this chapter, too! Thanks for reviewing. :)

TheHelper3440: Oh yeah, oops. Thanks for telling me; I've changed it now. :) And here's the 'hunting' chapter; I hope it satisfies you greatly! ;D

Purple Penguin's Mist: Perhaps… Or just more intense. You judge. ;)

SakuraFlutist: You, my friend, are absolutely right. At least, I hope I made it humorous. ;P

Summer Shadows: He talks more in this one. Dapplepaw and Stormpaw will be nicer later, don't worry. And I don't know. I haven't tried writing a situation with a nice IceClan cat yet. XP

Ranger of the Forest: Lol, thanks! One thing you're wrong about, though: Their rivalry will get _much_ better than it is now. Trust me. ;3

Starshine: Yes, I will tell you later, but not right now. I'm not planning to have a prophecy pop up anytime in the future, but thanks for it anyway. :)

Swiftstar: Here you go, then! :)

Blazingstar of ThunderClan: Aww, thanks! I always love to hear that. :3

**And, Hatergurl has visited again.**

_**hmmmm... well, lets begin. The story is mine, and thank you for the ummm... nice comments on i don't luv about ur story is.. well sometimes i feel it just isn't reasonable. Like the way they gang up on storm paw and Dawnpaw. And I find mist very annoying and vague. Also, ur writing style just seems a little rushed. Pardon me if it sounds rude, but u asked. I want u to know i didn't enjoy writing those first comments. I might had while i was doing it, but i don't want u to think poorly of me. I want u 2 kno that i like our little brawls and i THINK OF them as friendly debates. and sorry if my note attached to my story was rude, but i wanted u to see my material so u could understand why yours isn't quite up 2 my standards. But i admit I think the plot line is clever and i am slightly jealous. please do not answer this review rudely because it took great lowering of pride and dignity 2 write it. Thank u.  
>- hatergurl<strong>_

**My reply:**

**[hmmmm... well, lets begin. The story is mine, and thank you for the ummm... nice comments on it.] **You're welcome. :P

**[What i don't luv about ur story is.. well sometimes i feel it just isn't reasonable. Like the way they gang up on storm paw and Dawnpaw.] **You mean _Dapplepaw_, right? No need to worry; they'll be more friendly sooner on. They're barely past kithood; sometimes their more juvenile natures have_ got_ to show up, you know? And they merely got off the wrong foot at first; sorry if I didn't make that clear enough.

**[And I find mist very annoying and vague. Also, ur writing style just seems a little rushed. Pardon me if it sounds rude, but u asked.] **It doesn't sound rude; I like constructive critcism. :) However, I need more clarification here. In what parts does it sound rushed? I know the earlier chapters weren't as good as now—since then my writing has developed a bit—and a little rushed, I'll admit. How do you suggest editing the earlier chapters to be a bit better? Also, I just want to point out that Mist is_ supposed_ to be annoying and vague. That's her character. She's got something to hide. ;P

**[I want u to know i didn't enjoy writing those first comments. I might had while i was doing it, but i don't want u to think poorly of me. I want u 2 kno that i like our little brawls and i THINK OF them as friendly debates. and sorry if my note attached to my story was rude, but i wanted u to see my material so u could understand why yours isn't quite up 2 my standards.] **I'll admit that I was a little aggressive when responding—but you _did_ call me a few choice swears. I wasn't aware that friendly debates included calling the other person rude names, but I'll accept your point. One thing, though: do you have an account on here or not? Because, first: we wouldn't have to communicate in reviews and author notes, the latter of which takes up an awful lot of space on my story and irritates me to some extent. Second: I think your story would actually be quite a good addition to the archive. You'll have to change Moonstrike's name, however, and a few of the more eccentric warrior names since those don't make sense/don't work. So, if you don't have an account already, please make one so I don't have to reply in my author notes. ;) And one more thing: the reason I did not believe that the story was yours is because it had correct spelling and grammar—except for that one misspelled 'deserve'—and your anonymous reviews lack this. So do you piggyback off spell check in your stories, since reviews don't have that, or simply revert to a more primitive writing/chatspeak in reviews? Because your reviews aren't up to _my _standards, if you know what I mean.

**[But i admit I think the plot line is clever and i am slightly jealous.] **Aww, thanks. :)

**[please do not answer this review rudely because it took great lowering of pride and dignity 2 write it. Thank u.  
>- hatergurl] <strong>I hope I answered civilly. Did I? If you think some parts are too rude, I apologize, though I was simply stating the facts and my point of view. I appreciate you 'lowering your pride and dignity to write that'—some people hang on to incorrect facts like a dog onto a bone. I hope that we'll be able to PM each other and work everything out. Good day.

~Ponyiowa

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 23: Hunting in Pairs<span>

As soon as they were deep in the trees and out of Mist's sight, Dawnpaw veered away to the left as far as she could. _Be sure to keep your partner in your sights_. She flattened her ears in distaste, drawing even further to the left. Alright, then. She'd hunt with Stormpaw in seeing range, but only just. She wound her way through the trees, all the while keeping one eye on Stormpaw to make sure he was in sight. When he was finally just a tiny gray speck, Dawnpaw stopped, watching for prey.

She heard a small shuffle of paws, and settled into a FireClan hunting crouch. Mouse? And indeed there was a small rodent, stuffing its cheeks full with food. Happy that there was already some prey within a few moments of stepping into the woods, Dawnpaw bent low and began to slink toward the mouse, sliding her paws quietly across the grassy ground. A breeze ruffled her fur, slipping against her flanks towards her tail. She was downwind. Good. A few more steps and the mouse would be hers. Someone else's, technically, but she would have caught it.

And Dawnpaw_ would_ have caught it, if a strand of grass hadn't tickled her throat. The green thread of grass whipped under her chin, blown by the wind. It itched and brought back an unpleasant memory, and without even thinking about it, Dawnpaw stopped her stalking to bring a paw up to brush the blade of grass away. It did the trick, but the mouse saw the flash of movement and heard the sudden rustle, and fled.

_Darn._ Dawnpaw steamed, clawing the dirt in frustration. _Stupid Stormpaw. Stupid grass._ With a sudden vengeance, she ripped up several of the long-stranded plants around her, spraying dirt and grass confetti everywhere.

Rip.

Tear.

Growl.

Rip, rip, rip.

This went on for a few minutes until Dawnpaw's anger was satisfied and she realized how kit-like sitting on the ground and tearing up harmless plants was. But I'm only seven moons old, she reminded herself grumpily, shredding one last strand of grass with her teeth. So who cares? Not me, certainly.

Her temper sated, she stood back up, surrounded by upturned earth and tattered grass, waiting to see if any more creatures were in the vicinity.

No such luck; there was not even a hesitant chirp from above. No doubt her rampage had scared all the prey away.

She forced the new wave of anger down and, darting a look into the distance—Stormpaw was still in her sight, and she could see him looking around, perhaps in confusion, an action that made her feel slightly cheered up about being paired with him. Just slightly.

Reminding herself to keep on making sure the annoying tom was in sight, Dawnpaw hurried further into the trees, anxious to catch a piece of fresh-kill before long. She felt a need to be one of the apprentices who brought back their prey first, and to impress Mist.

After she'd padded several tail-lengths away, she stopped and scented for prey. There were a few here; she could hear and see some, too. One in particular was a nice looking thrush, perched in a stunted ash tree. She would catch that one, she decided. That ought to make Mist sit up and take note.

She retreated a few steps back, avoiding patches of long-stranded grass and trying not to step on any twigs. Then she crouched down to see if the thrush might land on the ground and peck for food.

She was in luck. Soon, with a flutter of wings, the bird alighted on the ground and began picking its way across the grass, jabbing its head down to look for seeds. The wind was bringing her the bird's delicious-smelling scent, meaning that she was downwind from this prey, too. Only this time, she wouldn't let a simple blade of grass distract her.

Grinning just the tiniest bit, Dawnpaw rose gingerly from her crouched position and stalked her way to the busy thrush.

It never saw her coming.

Instead, it felt her coming.

Later she would look back on the event and think, _Mouse dung, I forgot to set my paws down lightly! _But it wouldn't matter, since she caught it anyway.

At the exact moment the bird felt the tremors in the ground and stretched out its wings, Dawnpaw gritted her teeth and pounced.

The bird's wings unfurled, caught the air for a single second, and it lifted off; then it crashed back to earth as Dawnpaw's claws caught the long feathers of its tail. It lay pinned by one of the golden apprentice's paws and thrashed until Dawnpaw slit its throat. Then it lay still.

Dawnpaw shouted triumphantly, no longer caring who or what heard her; she had caught it! A most wonderful catch, it was. Nice and plump, with shiny feathers. She could already taste the succulent flesh in her mouth…

Oh. Right. It wasn't for her.

She would just have to hope that one of the other apprentices had caught a bird, too. She felt like eating one, and since she couldn't have this bird, she would simply have to wish that there was another.

Dawnpaw turned to make her way back to the clearing, but then realized that she would have to wait for Stormpaw if he hadn't caught his prey yet. Sighing in annoyance, she fixed her eyes on the gray dot in the distance and started toward him, but abruptly stopped when it became clear that he was moving toward her, too. There was no sense in walking to him when he was already coming to her, and walking would mean getting closer to him faster. That, she did not want.

Plus, he would have to cross more distance to get to her while she waited. The very thought made her feel juvenile joy, the thought of making him exert himself. Of course walking such a medium-length expanse like that wouldn't make a cat exhausted, but it would certainly make Stormpaw very aggravated when he got to her, especially when she would flash him a smug smile.

And so she waited for him to come.

Finally he crossed to her; she noted that as he padded closer his tail was flicking in an irritated manner. Success.

"Catch your prey and let's go," she said to him.

His eyes flickered toward the plump thrush lying at her feet and then at her. They were ice blue eyes—a rather striking color, Dawnpaw had to admit—and usually conveyed as little emotion as possible (not that she knew that from looking into or staring at them often), but this time they were filled with annoyance, an emotion Dawnpaw had begun to associate with him and meeting him (again, she didn't associate that with him merely because they were acquainted with each other so much. Not at all. Just, that's the feeling he mostly radiated when they met). "What part of 'Keep your partner in your sights' implies 'Run away as fast as you can'?" he growled.

"I wasn't running," Dawnpaw informed him shortly. "Nor was I disobeying Mist's rules. I merely went as far as I could without losing sight of you. Is that wrong?"

Stormpaw groaned. "No, but it was annoying because I didn't know exactly what you were doing. And I still haven't been able to catch any prey because I had to chase after _you_." He spat the word with strong distaste.

Dawnpaw shrugged, enjoying silent delight that he hadn't caught any prey because of her, and the fact that he was angry and unsettled enough about this to go spouting off about it. "Not my problem. What are you telling me that for?"

"I'm simply telling you that it's your fault."

"Oh, yay. All my fault, okay? Happy now? Good. Now, go catch something or go hungry. I have a feeling that if you come back without any freshkill, you'll simply be excluded from the food exchange."

The dark gray tom glared. Who was she to brush off his anger as if it didn't exist; and who was she to give him directions? He opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to shout at her, to rage, but the thing was, she was right. And that was what he hated the most.

"Stay close," was the best thing he came up with to mutter at her before he stalked off, tail lashing.

Dawnpaw didn't like being ordered, but he was right. To best save time, she would have to follow him, would have to tag along quietly, so that they could go straight to the clearing once he'd caught something. And that was what she hated most.

* * *

><p>"Come on; keep up with me if you can!"<p>

Now safely in the trees, away from Mist, the IceClan she-cat flashed a sneering glance back, then sped up.

Flowerpaw rolled her eyes. So dramatic. However, she couldn't refuse an invitation like that. Especially if she was sure she'd win. "Challenge accepted," she replied smoothly, and changed into her running gait: body stretched out like an eel's, claws out to dig into the ground, and legs flying out forward and backward. First, forelegs together, and next, back legs together, pushing off the earth. Sort of like hopping, really. Flowerpaw chuckled. Those long hours paddling in the waves had paid off. She was now ahead of Dapplepaw.

"Hey!"

Flowerpaw snorted, the action almost breaking her concentration. As if shouting would make the spotted she-cat run faster.

Dapplepaw suddenly flashed by. "The forest is this way, mouse-brain!"

Oh. The 'Hey!' was Dapplepaw just trying to get her attention. Flowerpaw felt foolish, but she covered up her mistake by saying, "I was getting there anyway. Thanks for the tip, though."

Dapplepaw stumbled. "What?"

"Hurry up; I'm going to beat you!" Flowerpaw flashed Dapplepaw a grin and drew ahead. Then she realized that they hadn't set an endpoint for their impromptu race. "Where do we stop?" she called.

No answer came for a couple of heartbeats, and then: "That…big…blue thing…ahead!"

The "big blue thing" turned out to be a roiling river, water roaring and swirling as it splashed past. Flowerpaw managed to stop at the bank in time, but Dapplepaw didn't have as much control of her paws, and nearly sent both of them tumbling into the water.

"Hey! I can swim, but probably not good enough to avoid drowning in there!" Flowerpaw meowed in indignation. "What were you trying to do, send us both to StarClan?"

Dapplepaw ducked her head, abashed. "Sorry," she muttered.

"Anyway, I won," continued Flowerpaw more brightly, "so you're forgiven."

"Congratulations," said Dapplepaw in a deadpan tone, her ears twitching irritably.

"Why, thank you," replied Flowerpaw back in the exact same manner, though inside she was happy with joy. And a little smirking satisfaction, too: Dapplepaw had lost the race she herself had initiated. What irony.

"Hey, look at that!" Pouting forgotten, Dapplepaw got to her feet and looked down. "Prey!"

Curious, Flowerpaw joined her. A brown water vole was just clambering out of the water and making its way up the slope. A small overhang was almost directly over its head, making it so that it couldn't see the two she-cats, and if it did, or could smell them, it certainly didn't acknowledge them. It was coming straight at them.

"I'll get this one," Flowerpaw hissed to the other she-cat. Without waiting for an answer, she leaped as lightly as she could onto the overhang below, praying that it would take her weight.

It did. A few dirt clods sparked off the bottom and skidded down into the river, only a few mouse-lengths down, with little _plops_, but it held.

Flowerpaw pricked her ears and closed her eyes, using her hearing only to pinpoint the small animal scurrying below. It was very close. A few more steps and it would be right under the overhang. Then it would have to choose whether it would go left or right, and would see her, it hadn't detected her already.

A few more seconds… Now!  
>Flowerpaw hunkered down on the ledge and swung out with her right paw, the way she would if she was catching a fish. She could almost hear Tawnyspot's voice in her ear: <em>That's it. Swipe deeply. Stick out your claws. Yes, that's it. Very nice. <em>

Her claws caught on fur, and she quickly dug them in and flipped the object onto the ledge. She delivered a swift blow to its neck, killing it instantly.

"Got it—"she started to say, straightening up, but then the ground trembled beneath her paws and she fell down.

She staggered to her feet, spreading her legs out for balance. What was happening?

One look down told her what. The overhang was breaking, shuddering off bigger and bigger clumps of earth each time. Fear thudded in her heart. She would have to make a leap for the bank before it was too late—and it would have to be her very best, for she wouldn't get another chance.

"Flowerpaw?" Dapplepaw's face appeared, wide-eyed and scared. "Can you make it?"

Flowerpaw didn't bother replying. She would find out soon enough. She backed up to as far as she could go to get a running start and judged the distance from the overhang to the bank. She couldn't fool herself. Her heart sank. The width was too great; she would almost make it, and then hang there with a few more mouse-lengths to go. Unless…

She took a deep breath.

"Dapplepaw?" she called to the now out-of-sight she-cat.

"Yes?"

"I can't make it by jumping alone. It's too high. I…I'll need your help. Could—" She broke off as a piece of overhang crumbled off dangerous close to her paws. She swallowed and moved forward a little. "Could you please help me up once I've jumped?"

The next few seconds seemed like eternity—if eternity was accompanied by the roaring sounds of hungry waves and the sound of earth falling down and splashing and the thrum of a scared heartbeat. Then Dapplepaw's head appeared, nodding. "Yes. Yes…I will."

"I… Thank you." Flowerpaw tensed her muscles. "Okay. I'm jumping now." She grabbed up the vole, took one last deep breath, preparing herself, and started running. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears as the wall of earth loomed closer and closer.

_One…_

_ Two…_

_ Three…_

_ …Now!_

Flowerpaw pushed off with all the strength she had in her limbs. And not a moment too late—the second her paws left the ledge, it crumbled to pieces, falling to the river below, where the currents swallowed it with gaping mouths.

She had been right. Clinging to the side of the bank desperately, her ears just about grazed the top of the bank. She lifted one paw tentatively and hooked her claws as far as she could reach. But she couldn't climb up; the dirt in the bank side was too soft and crumbly to endure that. She was barely hanging on as it was. "Dapplepaw," she croaked. "Help me now."

"Coming." And, eyes closed with the effort of hanging on, Flowerpaw felt the IceClan she-cat lean over and grab her scruff firmly. Slowly, she pulled her upward. Flowerpaw tried to lessen the weight with digging her claws in and moving upward gingerly, but Dapplepaw took the brunt of the weight.

And then she was up and over, safely on top of the ground. The two she-cats collapsed in exhaustion, sides heaving.

When Flowerpaw had regained most of her strength, and her breath, too, she sat up, curling her tail around her now very dirty paws. "Thanks," she meowed.

The dappled brown she-cat was lying on her back, eyes shut, legs splayed out in every which way. Flowerpaw would have laughed at the sight, had she had the breath to. Dapplepaw remained that way for a few more seconds before flipping onto her stomach. "Dear StarClan," she gasped. "What do you eat?"

Flowerpaw twitched her ears, offended. But Dapplepaw _had _helped her. "Fish," she answered primly. "Lots and lots of fish."

"And water voles, too," grunted Dapplepaw. She reached up slowly, and, with one claw, hooked the said animal off her head. "I think this is yours."

Flowerpaw laughed and took the prey. "Thanks."

Dapplepaw laughed too, just a bit. "Well, that was something I won't forget for a long time." She carefully climbed to her feet, shaking her head to dislodge tiny bits of dirt also on her ears. "Oh, and…" She grinned maliciously. "You owe me."

* * *

><p>The feeling of accomplishing something is refreshing. If it has taken you a long time to achieve this, you might feel relieved, and burdened no more. If it's a small victory, but important nonetheless, you most likely will feel joyful and triumphant.<p>

Stormpaw felt the latter as his claws closed over the throat of a robin. However, it was quickly replaced by irritation when he remembered Dawnpaw standing there. He turned to look at her, the bird clenched in his claws.

She looked back at him, unperturbed, tail flicking impatiently. "Come on, let's go," she said.

Well? Wasn't she going to congratulate him on his catch? He paused a few seconds, just to make sure she wasn't going to say anything; and then his pelt burned as he realized that he was waiting for a compliment. From _her_.

He picked up the robin. "Coming," he growled through the bird, and took a few reluctant steps to her side. The she-cat set off without looking back, head up and strides light. Stormpaw followed less happily, slinking after the FireClan apprentice and dragging his feet. The robin swung in his jaws as he took one slow step after another.

It took them longer than he'd expected to get back to the clearing. Dawnpaw had certainly gone a long way from the large oak. During the walk, Stormpaw stewed in his anger. Why had Mist put them together? Surely she could have felt the tension in the air when she did so. He glared at Dawnpaw's back, still ruffled from his wanting a compliment and not getting one._ Rude. That was a very good catch, I'll have you know._

When they arrived, Dapplepaw and Flowerpaw were already there, chewing angrily on fresh-kill and eying each other. Stormpaw wondered what had happened.

Dawnpaw had dropped her thrush by the correct root; now she was sitting next to Flowerpaw, talking in hushed tones. Stormpaw didn't have to be close to her to know what she was saying.

He dropped his bird by the root, too, and was about to turn away—there was no way he was taking that thrush—when his stomach growled. He paused, feeling the emptiness. He really was hungry. And, he considered, wasn't it sort of immature to starve himself just because the only fresh-kill left was caught by someone he didn't like?

Stormpaw quickly dipped his head and grabbed the thrush in his mouth. Plus, he mused, as he headed off to quietly eat the fresh-kill on his root, it would surely infuriate Dawnpaw when she saw him eating her 'precious, hard-caught prey.'

Settling comfortably on top of his root, one foreleg dangling lazily over the side and the other curled protectively around Dawnpaw's thrush, he took a bite. Chewing it thoughtfully, he admitted that it _was_ a pretty good catch. Nice and plump. Not that he'd ever tell Dawnpaw that.

* * *

><p>"Come on, race you to the oak!" called Emberpaw to Rowanpaw, already quickening his pace.<p>

"You're on," Rowanpaw meowed back through his two mice, picking up his speed immediately. He chased after the FireClan tom, swerving through the foliage. The ground seemed to vanish beneath his paws as he ran; the trees whipped by at an alarming rate.

He caught up with the other apprentice easily—Emberpaw seemed to be having a hard time with his squirrel. It was large and abnormally fluffy, and Emberpaw was continually tripping over it. Rowanpaw grinned. At this rate, he thought, I'll win in no time.

As if sensing his thought, Emberpaw vengefully whipped the squirrel out of the way, wrapping it around his neck and flinging it onto his back. With the dead animal bouncing on his back every time he made a particularly strong push off the ground with his paws, he regained his lead. Rowanpaw sped up his pace in turn.

The two apprentices raced neck to neck through the trees. Their paws thudded on the ground, most likely scaring every prey within range to death.

Rowanpaw darted a quick glance at Emberpaw. The other tom was beginning to slow down just the tiniest bit, weighed down by the squirrel, and this motivated Rowanpaw. He lowered his head and thrust his back legs off the ground, leaping into the air. This gained him a few mouse-lengths forward. It wasn't long, however, before Emberpaw drew level to him again.

Now Rowanpaw was beginning to tire, too. How far did we go into the trees? he wondered. I do recall Emberpaw chasing that squirrel a long way, but I didn't think it was that long…

As he was thinking, Emberpaw had surged a little bit ahead. Rowanpaw gathered his strength and made another bounding leap; his legs were strong from paddling and leaping over waves at home.

And then they finally arrived at the oak tree, head to head, neck to neck, nose to nose. They were equally matched.

Emberpaw skidded into the clearing, rearing up in surprise and digging in his back legs to stop himself from crashing into a very surprised Dapplepaw. Obviously he hadn't expected to burst into the clearing so quick.

On the other paw, Rowanpaw was able to stop graciously. He'd seen more light up ahead a few tail-lengths from the oak, and from that, he'd predicted correctly that they would be reaching the clearing soon.

He deposited his mice at the correct root, still breathing heavily. There was already a good-looking robin there; yet he felt like having a squirrel today. Perhaps Emberpaw would let him eat his catch?

He heard pawsteps coming. It was Emberpaw, of course. Instead of setting down his prey, he shoved his head forward and let the squirrel dangle in Rowanpaw's face, the sudden movement swinging the squirrel violently from side to side. "Trade?" he managed to mumble through the very fluffy fur.

Rowanpaw grinned at the sight. "Sure," he said, pushing his two mice to Emberpaw's feet. The FireClan tom dropped his squirrel in front of Rowanpaw in turn.

"Here you go. I couldn't bear eating any extremely-furry animals after having to carry that squirrel in my mouth all that time. Ugh." He shuddered. "So much _fluff_. It's only greenleaf. How much fur does it need to keep warm?"

Rowanpaw chuckled. "It's a good thing I don't mind squirrel, then." He picked it up. "Want to eat together?"

"Sure."

But just as they left the root, they heard a disbelieving yowl.

Emberpaw dropped his mice in surprise. "What—?" He turned. "Dawnpaw, what was that for? You nearly broke my eardrums!" he accused.

Rowanpaw turned, too, to find the golden she-cat staring at the space they had just vacated—at the robin, to be specific. "What's wrong?" he meowed.

Dawnpaw didn't reply for several seconds, and then picked up the robin gingerly, reluctantly, grudgingly. "Hey Emberpaw, could we switch?" she asked.

Emberpaw shook his head. "Sorry, Dawnpaw. But I just spent the better half of an hour carrying an extremely fluffy squirrel." He gagged a few times, as if to reinforce his point. "I can't take anything fluffy, or feathery, for that matter. Just thin fur, like these mice." He pawed the dropped rodents at his feet. "Sorry again."

Rowanpaw would have given the squirrel to Dawnpaw if she'd asked—he had already figured out why she didn't want to eat the fresh-kill she had—but she didn't. Just as well; they barely knew each other.

He watched Dawnpaw stand there for a few moments, looking around. Flowerpaw and Dapplepaw were already half done with their meals, and Stormpaw was smirking and enjoying his thrush quite enthusiastically.

"Dawnpaw." Mist stood from her perch on the root, looking down disapprovingly. "Either eat that or bury it and go hungry. You'll soon learn that you can't afford to waste time on such trivial things."

Dawnpaw looked frozen for a moment, then dipped her head. "I understand, Mist." She glared at the bird for a couple seconds before picking it up by its tail once more. She trotted over to Flowerpaw and they began talking in low, hushed tones.

Emberpaw turned and glanced at Rowanpaw, puzzlement in his eyes. "What was that about?"

Rowanpaw didn't quite know it himself. "She-cats will be she-cats," he replied cryptically, shrugging. "Want to eat together?"

"I guess you're right," said Emberpaw hesitantly, obviously still trying to figure out Dawnpaw's actions. "And sure."

He picked up his mice and the two toms sat down together to enjoy their fresh-kill.

* * *

><p>Dawnpaw finished telling Flowerpaw what had happened, a tale that had been interrupted when Emberpaw and Rowanpaw had skidded into the clearing and she'd gotten up to get some fresh-kill. She bit into the robin violently while Flowerpaw blinked several times, processing the information that she had just been told.<p>

First, she laughed. "I like your logic," she praised, while still chuckling. "Very like my brother's, in fact. And the way you just stood there and made him come to you…priceless."

Dawnpaw smiled a bit, her irritation of Stormpaw being the only one who had caught a bird, her favorite prey to eat, fading slightly.

"But…" And now Flowerpaw sobered. "He is pretty annoying, I agree. And the fact that _you_ had to eat the prey that _he_ caught… Yuck."

Dawnpaw nodded, feeling her fur bush up in irritation. She prodded the robin. "It doesn't even taste good." In truth, it _did_ taste rather good, but the fact that _he_ had caught it ruined the pleasure of eating a bird, her favorite treat, quite terribly. "The only consolation I would have from this is that he would hate eating my catch as much as I hate eating his. Only…" She glanced upward to see if he was still smirking and looking as if he was relishing eating the thrush.

He was.

"Only, he…" Dawnpaw shook her head in equal parts disgust and puzzlement. "Just look at him." She looked back at the said tom to glare at him.

Flowerpaw followed her gaze. "Huh," she said. "Looks like he's enjoying eating that bird."

Dawnpaw shrugged. "I don't care that much about him," she said. "What I do care about is finding a way of getting him back."

Flowerpaw's eyes lit up. "Ooh, could I help?"

"Of course," Dawnpaw said. She grinned. "I was counting on you to ask that."

* * *

><p>Unaware of the conversation happening below him, Stormpaw chewed the thrush in satisfaction. He enjoyed it very much indeed.<p>

* * *

><p>Ohhhh yeah. How did you like that? Very exciting, no? ;D Was it hilarious enough?<p>

I need a review. From all of your lurker and readers. I think I deserve something for all my efforts. ;3

~Ponyiowa


	24. Chapter 24: Making Nice

**A/N: Um, hi. *waves***

**Yet again, I apologize for not updating for two months. I took a break from FFN for about the last three weeks of August, and I've also been looking after my forum. Life and homework has also bombarded me. ;-;**

**On a happier note, my birthday and the anniversary of this passed... My birthday on August 3rd (Wish me a belated birthday, will you? XD) and the anniversary of this on October 4th. I wasn't able to get this chapter done by then, but I'm now posting it a week after the 4th, which I think lines up pretty well, too. :)  
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**I'm thinking of axing the individual review replies and the bottom author's note; and either PMing the person if they have a question or addressing it here if more than two ask it. I will answer reviews here if they're anonymous, but there will most likely be just a couple neat paragraphs in the author's note telling what I feel about the chapter, what I did while writing it, and blah. PM me your thoughts about this, since I still want votes in my current poll!**

**And if you're still reading, could my belated birthday present be a review? ;3  
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**~Ponyiowa  
><strong>

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><p><span>C<span>hapter 24: Making Nice

Dawnpaw yawned and stretched, her eyes blinking closed again as she basked in the early greenleaf sun's warmth. Except for Mist and Stormpaw and her, the rest of the world was asleep, and she was content to enjoy it while she could. While it wasn't like she didn't like chirping birds, or the chatter of squirrels, it was early enough in the morning where everyone was quiet. And since Stormpaw was included in 'everyone,' that was good enough for her.

She opened her eyes and rolled onto her back, batting at the air as she reached for the sky with one forepaw, then the other, and then both back legs. They'd all slept around and on an oak tree again—the same one as before—and though it was an interesting enough experience (she herself had chosen a ground root both nights) it wasn't that comfortable. Unless, of course, you had claimed one of the comfier spots, like Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw had, nestled beside each other in the curl of a root.

Even Stormpaw had gotten a nice, curving little nest; it was a naturally flattened part of a limb that dipped so that if you sat in it, your head was slightly lower than it would have been if you'd chosen a spot right next to the hollow. It had a nice view, too. She would know; she'd tried it out when he was attempting to talk to Emberpaw. Merely curious, that was all.

It was pretty comfortable, and she'd berated herself for not choosing a better place to sleep. Next tree, she'd find a place that would be gentler on her strained muscles. It had his scent on it after just one night, which was the only thing that ruined trying it out. She could just imagine, though, that he'd stepped into it yesterday and found a trace of her scent there, and afterward spent his time puzzling over why she'd been in there. Leaving hidden thorns? Clawing at the bark so that during the night it would crack and he would fall to the ground?

That was enough thinking about him. She finished her stretching and lazily flopped over again, in a strangely peaceful mood. Dawnpaw scanned the clearing. Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw were just waking up, simultaneously yawning in a way that made Dawnpaw want to open her mouth and yawn, too. She forced the itch down, and saw Emberpaw standing up and blinking, obviously having just woken up, too. Dapplepaw was still sleeping, and Stormpaw—well, she didn't care where he was, right?

She found out anyway. The sound of quiet pawsteps turned her eyes away from looking for Mist, and to the sight of the dark gray apprentice making his way toward her. He didn't look as if he'd spent half the night up trying to figure out why she had been in his nest. Not that she'd thought he'd be, anyway. Dawnpaw immediately sat up from her slouched crouch, hackles raised, suspicious. The taste of the robin rose again in her throat, reminding her of yesterday's hunting in pairs exercise. She hoped Mist wouldn't make them to do that again for a long while.

Stormpaw smirked. "Calm down. I wasn't coming here so I could try to murder you in your sleep." He flicked his tail as Dawnpaw narrowed her eyes at him. He leaned in close, as if going to share a secret—making Dawnpaw quickly scrabble backward in a most undignified manner—and then straightened back up, looking bored. "Mist's coming back from wherever she goes each morning. She told me to get you guys gathered up. She has something to say to all of us."

* * *

><p>Mist waited patiently for all of them to settle down before beginning. "All of you did quite well yesterday," she began. "You followed the guidelines for the exercise and brought back prey successfully. Today, what I want to know is one thing: What are your feelings on this exercise?"<p>

_I don't like it,_ thought Stormpaw.

But instead he said, "The idea of it is well thought-out."

Mist nodded at him. "Thank you for your feedback, Stormpaw. Any others?"

Dawnpaw lifted a paw.

"Yes, Dawnpaw?"

"It was…._okay_"—here she paused and flicked a glance at Stormpaw, who knew perfectly well that it was anything but okay for both of them—"but I'm wondering about one thing. Will we have to do this for every hunting exercise?"

"I was about to talk about that next," Mist answered. "Very well. I have decided that yes, you will. As I have said, this will help build relationships for when you get to Scar's camp. Nothing is less weak than a divided force."

Dawnpaw raised her paw again.

"So, we can pick new partners for this exercise, right?"

Stormpaw was eager to hear this answer_. Please say yes, _please_ say yes…,_ he thought.

"No, I'm afraid to answer that you can't." Stormpaw sat up straight, ears pricked, barely noticing that Dawnpaw did the same. _What?_ "You see, I've looked over all the hunting pairs, and I found that I was pleased with the performances. Perhaps as we get closer to our destination, you will get new partners, but even then, I will pick them for you."

Stormpaw slumped back down. Great. Just great.

"Any more questions?"

Dapplepaw made a motion with her paw. "Are we done?"

The gray-and-white she-cat's mouth twitched in what have may been a smile. "Yes, Dapplepaw. We are done. Find your partners and then you may hunt for this morning."

As soon as the words had come out of Mist's mouth, Stormpaw shot to his feet, fast, intending to talk to Mist about this "quite unfortunate pairing."

Dawnpaw was faster.

Stormpaw took a step, then stopped when he realized the golden apprentice was already talking to Mist. Her stance suggested that she was unsure that her plea would be granted. Stormpaw was afraid that it wouldn't be, either.

The verdict was clear a few moments later when Dawnpaw nodded slowly and turned and spun, walking toward Stormpaw. The look on her face was grim. Mouse-dung. Had he been caught watching them? He studied his paws as she came closer, pretending to find the smooth, dark gray fur very entrancing to see.

Ah, whatever. He needed to know. He glanced back up when she was standing in front of him and opened his mouth to ask, but again, she beat him to it.

"Mist says that we have to stay partners." The words were curt, toneless, yet he knew that if he looked into her eyes he would find the same disapproval thudding in his chest.

Stormpaw groaned. "Well, StarClan hates me today."

Dawnpaw sighed and brushed past him. "That makes two us."

Huh. They'd agreed.

When was the last time that had happened?

* * *

><p>Dawnpaw had a plan. One that had formulated in her mind while anxiously waiting for Mist's answer. It wasn't the plan to get back at Stormpaw. It was an entirely new one. It was a plan to get along with him, in the hunting exercise.<p>

How ironic.

She could hear him breathing as they traveled deeper into the undergrowth. He was striding at her flank, apparently comfortable to stay a bit behind. Just a bit.

She would tell him the plan when they had gotten far away enough that no one could see or hear them, she'd decided. Just a little farther now. The only sound was breathing and footsteps. Either all the prey was asleep or was scared away.

A few more steps, and…now.

Dawnpaw abruptly turned around and stopped. Stormpaw, unprepared, nearly crashed into her. "What the—?" he started to hiss, but Dawnpaw shushed him.

"I have something to say," she said.

He gave her a dark look, one that made full use of his brilliant ice blue eyes. "Clearly."

"It's a plan."

Suddenly his demeanor seemed a lot brighter. "Is it one that will get Mist to give us new partners?"

"No." So he was as eager to get a new partner as she was, though not surprisingly. "It's something that I hope will keep us from fighting every time we have to hunt together."

He gave her another look. "And here I was, thinking that you enjoyed our little spats." He muttered something about kittens and Rowanpaw and no way in StarClan. "Why are you so eager to make nice?"

"I don't want to waste our hunting time bickering about minimal things," Dawnpaw stated. "Mist thinks that this is a great way to get us to become _friends _and '_united'"_—she nearly spat the words—"but it's quite clear that we will never be friends, or even close acquaintances, and though we may be on the same side, we'll never get along."

"And here you are, suggesting a plan that will surely make sure we do," Stormpaw muttered.

"Shut up."

"Hey…"

"As I was saying, this won't work out. Unless we try. I'm sure that Mist is doing this just to see if we can learn to be nice to each other; she speaks a lot about "observing" and whatnot. I, for one, don't care about getting along in camp, but in the hunting exercise, it's crucial that we work together to bring back prey."

"Like you totally did yesterday," Stormpaw said, remembering Dawnpaw's mission to run far, far, _far_ away from him and then some. Hypocrite.

She glared at him. "Are you going to listen, or have I just wasted five minutes talking to a wall?"

"Oh. Excuse me." Stormpaw tucked his legs neatly under him and sat up straight, curling his tail around his paws. The only sign that he wasn't really giving her his best, unbiased attention was the smirk pasted on his mouth. From the increased anger in her eyes, she was fully aware of that. "Do go on."

Dawnpaw sighed. "So, I was thinking that for the hunting exercise—and for the hunting exercise only, as I have no wish to 'play nice' with you outside of this—we should try to get along and all that. A truce, if you will." For the third time that morning, she lifted a paw to ask a question. She looked straight at him and said, "Do you agree?"

Stormpaw considered, shifting his paws in thought. It wasn't a bad idea, really. He had better ways to waste his energy than to fight with this insufferable she-cat. And they could bring back their fresh-kill a lot faster than if one of them had to chase the other across several tail-lengths of grass, plants, and trees_ every single time_.

Looking straight back into her green eyes—that was funny, how had he never noticed before that her eyes were the color of green-leaf?—he lifted a paw and touched it to hers.

"I agree," he said.

And he could have sworn that in that moment, there was a spark in their contact.


	25. Chapter 25: A Rather Dangerous Swim

**A/N: I have no idea how time passed so fast. Really. D: ****I have no school today and tomorrow, so you can hope for an update for _Phoenix_, too. **

**But thank you all for the lovely birthday presents! *pats shiny wrapping paper* I luffles them. :3 Speaking of which: Do you think you have any more gifts hidden back in your closets? Because it would be great to make it to 200 reviews with this chapter. ;3 As you can see, I'm asking here, because I'm not doing a bottom author's note so I can leave you with the ending and nothing else. *winks***

**I hink you guys will love this chapter. ;D And the next. Oh yes, especially the next. It's time to get a move on, DawnXStorm...  
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><p><span>Chapter 25: A Rather Dangerous Swim<span>

Three sunrises later, the situation wasn't much better.

Granted, the hunting truce helped, but not much. It was almost as if, to make up for the new tentative peace when they were alone in the forest, he decided to be triple-fold obnoxious when they were with Mist and the other apprentices.

"He's such a mousebrain!" Dawnpaw hissed to Flowerpaw as they padded along the riverbank. She was thoroughly exasperated with the dark gray tom. Even though, to her surprise, she found she enjoyed their little verbal fights—only sometimes, but especially if she was winning the match—sometimes she wanted to claw him to pieces just so he couldn't be annoying anymore. "If mice could talk, they'd be smarter than him."

"Excuse me, what was that?" an annoyingly familiar voice called from behind them. "Were you trying to be funny?"

Without turning around, Dawnpaw knew who it was. There was no one else in the Clans who sounded like that. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of turning around. But she let one small rebuke escape her mouth. "Shut up."

Stormpaw ignored the comment and trotted faster to catch up to them. As he drew level with her, their pelts brushed for a millisecond. Then he padded a little over to the left, farther away from Dawnpaw, and their contact stopped.

For some weird reason, Dawnpaw felt herself wishing to move closer to him and brush her pelt against his once more. Then she shook her head, disgusted with herself. He's a stupid mousebrain, she repeated in her head._ A stupid mousebrain. _

"Well?" asked Stormpaw smugly, knowing that now there was no way Dawnpaw could openly ignore him.

"No, you idiot!" Dawnpaw exploded, turning so fast to face him she nearly wrenched her neck. "We were having a_ conversation_. You don't need to compete to see who's funnier in a conversation. But then, you wouldn't know that, would you, since you have no social skills?"

Stormpaw put on a hurt look. "No, that wasn't funny at all. But if you were trying for dumb and dull, well….let's just say that you won."

A huff sounded, and Flowerpaw craned her neck around Dawnpaw to glare the dark gray apprentice walking next to them. "Listen, you…you…you c_at_," she spat angrily, "if you think that you're much wittier than Dawnpaw, then fine. Believe in that if you want. Better not to crush dreams, right? But if you're purposely listening to us talk and then making obscene comments about it…well, who's the dumb one now?"

The stormy-pelted tom glared back with equal ferocity at the WaterClan apprentice. He seemed at a loss for words before finally settling on a scathing "Excuse me?"

"Oh hey, are you deaf too? Sorry, didn't realize."

"Why don't you do us all a favor and shut your mouth, WaterClan _scum_."

Flowerpaw's fur bushed up, and Dawnpaw was now beginning to realize that Flowerpaw—along with Rowanpaw—was very territorial about remarks about her Clan. "What did you just say?"

"Huh, you're deaf now, too. Too bad you're so rude we can't bond over that."

Dawnpaw noticed that Flowerpaw's claws were now out, gouging deep indents into the earth with every step she took. Things were going to get intense, fast. If she didn't calm the situation now, Flowerpaw would probably maul Stormpaw to death and they would never be able to infiltrate Scar's camp and have all of the Clans unite. "Thanks for defending me, Flowerpaw," she said quickly. "But why don't you go ahead and join your brother?"

The claws sheathed, and Flowerpaw's pelt smoothed back down. A pause, and then Flowerpaw looked at Dawnpaw. "Are you sure…?"

"Yes," said Dawnpaw firmly. She winked at Flowerpaw. "What, you don't think I can take on this mousebrain by myself?"

Flowerpaw grinned. "I'm only afraid that there won't be enough of him behind for me to taunt once you're done with him." With that, and a few long strides, she reached her brother's side. The two began to converse in light tones, though from the inquisitive glance Rowanpaw soon gave Dawnpaw, their topic was about the dark gray apprentice striding next to her.

Once the WaterClan apprentices were out of earshot, Dawnpaw hissed, "What the heck are you doing? Don't you need Dapplepaw to back you up?"

Stormpaw snorted. "She's currently talking with Emberpaw, oh smart one." Surprised, Dawnpaw craned her neck, and soon saw specks of dark- and dappled- brown in the distance. Funny, so Dapplepaw could carry a conversation without being rude, unlike one certain dark-furred, annoying tom.

"Back to the intelligence remarks again? Just to let you know, I don't think you're in a very good position to be commenting on that."

Stormpaw growled. A very mature response, thought Dawnpaw with a smirk. "Stupid mousebrain."

"Fishbreath."

"I'm not even_ from_ WaterClan!"

"So? By the way, you have a fishface, too."

"Are you blind?!"

"I must be, if I can stand talking to someone as ugly and annoying as you."

Stormpaw even gnashed his teeth in annoyance, entertaining Dawnpaw greatly. "Oh, yeah?" he fired back. "Well, I must be blind and numb too, if I'm able to withstand being ten tail-lengths around you."

"Must be all that smell you carry around that's shielding you."

"No, must be my unfortunate high-tolerance to idiots like you."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have won the award for being the single most annoying cat in the Clans?"

"No, but the position's free for you."

Stormpaw bumped her shoulder in annoyance. Dawnpaw stepped away and then bumped him back, harder. He nudged back. She nudged back. Pretty soon, they were shoving each other as hard as they could.

Clods of dirt showered from the precipice as they got closer to the river bank's edge, thanks to their jostling each other. The river roared from below, swirling white eddies dancing in the currents. But Stormpaw and Dawnpaw ignored the sound of crashing waves and focused on winning this new battle.

It was a rather stupid fight, Dawnpaw reflected as she took a jarring hit to the side. And it did in fact put her much closer to the bee-brained tom than she ever wanted to be…right? In any case, she was determined to win this skirmish, no matter how small it was.

With Flowerpaw now gone, Dawnpaw was the closer one of the two apprentices to the river. She could hear the roiling water below her, but instead put all her concentration into shoving Stormpaw. If she couldn't win this battle, what could she win? And Stormpaw would never respect her… She paused, momentarily distracted by this thought. What did she care if he didn't respect her? She definitely didn't respect him. After reassuring herself this, she jostled the dark gray apprentice again, but by that one momentary distraction, she'd lost the necessary amount of ground.

Stormpaw shoved her once, and she lost her balance and fell over the cliff side.

* * *

><p>Stormpaw watched, stunned, as Dawnpaw tumbled over the river bank and plummeted to the water below. The golden she-cat clawed helplessly at the empty air, looking in vain for something to save her, as if a StarClan warrior might suddenly appear and haul her up to safety. He might have stayed like that for eternity, or ran to get the other apprentices in a weak effort to save the FireClan apprentice, save for the words that slipped out of Dawnpaw's mouth as she fell, a final, desperate call for help. A trump card, if you will.<p>

"Stormpaw, help!"

But it worked. Without thinking, with only one thought of saving Dawnpaw, he bunched his muscles.

And dove after her.

He hit the water with a loud smack, pain radiating through his body from his clumsy entrance into the river surface. The momentum of his jump drove him deep underwater, spinning him almost to the sandy floor. Darkness surrounded him, and his legs felt like lead. A fish swam past him, wide-eyed, and disappeared behind a leafy underwater plant. He was drifting, his fur swirling in the water with every push of the current. His lungs were full to bursting, but for some reason, he didn't seem to mind.

_Perhaps I should stay here,_ he thought idly. _That would be nice_.

But then, through the murky darkness, an image of a laughing golden she-cat materialized in his mind. _Come on, Stormpaw, _she seemed to be saying. _Swim._

_But I don't know how to,_ he protested. She ceased laughing, and seemed to smile regretfully at him.

_Then why are you here?_

Stormpaw suddenly remembered why. _Because Dawnpaw needs my help_. Shaking off the darkness converging on his mind, he kicked forcefully, and, to the relief of his lungs, broke the surface of the river. Spitting water and blinking to clear his view, he treaded, looking anxiously for that flash of golden fur. He couldn't see her, and he knew his strength was fading. IceClan cats had slightly thicker fur to counteract the cold, and that and the fact that he couldn't swim to save his life—an ability that would be highly helpful right now—was dragging him back down to the murky, death-filled depths once again.

He paddled more, digging deep within himself to find his final cache of strength. No. He had to find her. It was his fault Dawnpaw was in the river, his fault that both of them were, stuck in the river's current. At the very least, he had to get her back to the bank and to safety.

There she was!

* * *

><p>Dawnpaw struggled to the surface, coughing up water and river silt. She began to swim for shore, ears flattened against her head and eyes wide. Stupid tom! One day he was going to get someone killed—or he'd be killed for his impudence. She'd most likely be the one to do it, in fact.<p>

"Do you need any help?" someone shouted. She could see that Emberpaw had begun to dip one paw into the water, but Rowanpaw grabbed him and hauled him back up, nodding at Dawnpaw to let her know he could see she was doing okay. He crouched by the edge of the bank, mouthing, _I'll help you up when you arrive._ The other apprentices stared, most likely wondering how in StarClan's name she could swim. She couldn't see Stormpaw or Mist anymore. The dark gray tom was probably slinking around at the back, the mangy crowfood eater. As for Mist, only StarClan knew where she was at all times.

"No," she answered as loudly as she could, paddling faster and taking more breaths so she could make her words heard. "I'm fine; I'll be there in no time!" Only about ten more fox-lengths, and then she'll be at the bank…

"Dawnpaw!" a familiar voice called.

She stopped swimming for a second, almost froze. Her head went under for a second and then she popped back up, spinning around frantically to look for the tom who had shouted. She knew that voice. Too well, in fact. In most instances, it brought annoyance, irritation, and a whole slew of insults that were reserved for only him.

This time, it brought fear.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw a dark gray apprentice floundering some fox-lengths away.

"I'm coming!" he shouted. "Don't worry. I'll be there…" He went under and came back up coughing. "…Soon…"

The only place he was coming to was the bottom of the river. Dawnpaw could see that he wouldn't last much longer. And he was telling her—_them_—not to worry?

Making a split-second decision, she took a deep breath and dove under.

* * *

><p><em>Blink.<em>

The waves seemed to delight in pushing him from side to side like some toy.

_Blink._

Stormpaw struggled to keep his eyes open.

_Blink._

But he had no problem doing so when he saw what Dawnpaw did next. Was she crazy? She was much closer to the bank than he was! Why wasn't she swimming towards there?

A surge of river water washed over him, momentarily blanking out his thoughts. It pushed him down, down, down again. Soon he was more than a few tail-lengths underwater, watching the sun shimmer down on the water above. Stormpaw wasn't sure it was so bad, actually. It was quite peaceful, he thought, floating. No babbling mentor. No journey. No golden-furred FireClan she-cat apprentices… Something like alarm went through him. Was he supposed to remember something? He was so tired, he was sure it could wait until later…

He felt jaws grab the scruff of his neck and was only able to catch a glimpse of sun-colored fur before he was dragged to the surface of the water.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?"

_Why was someone shouting at him?_ Stormpaw wondered confusedly. The pressure on the back of his neck had vanished; they must have let go of him so that they could yell at him. He started paddling in a futile attempt to keep his head above the water but was only able to grab one more precious breath of air before his tired limbs failed him once more and he was pulled back under.

Not for long. Whoever the cat was, she—the voice had sounded like a she-cat's and was somehow familiar—had taken hold of his scruff again, and he was hauled back above the water.

This time, she didn't let go of him to rage. "You've got to be the stupidest tom alive," she was muttering out of the corner of her mouth. How she managed to swim, pull him, and talk at the same time was beyond Stormpaw's mind in its current fuzzy state. "Do all IceClan cats not know how to swim? What were you doing down there? You weren't even trying to get back to the surface. Idiot."

Stormpaw tried to open his mouth and tell her that he was fine, it was quite peaceful down there actually, but all that came out was an unintelligible mumble.

"Don't worry," she told him, her voice sounding gentler this time. "We'll be at the bank soon."

He could hear a splash some ways off. Voices, too.

"Relax, I've got him," said the she-cat to someone. But Stormpaw could hear that she was tiring.

He lifted his head and tried to swim, to lessen the load, but whoever was carrying him told him that if he tried going anywhere by himself right now it would be to die with the fish, so stop moving and just let her pull him. At that, he relaxed his tired muscles and closed his eyes, trusting his safety solely to the cat carrying him to the bank.

* * *

><p>Rowanpaw swam next to her as she cleared the last bit of water and latched onto the bank side, holding onto it with nothing but her claws and determination. Dawnpaw began to climb upward, sinking her claws into the mud-and-earth side and hauling herself upward, but quickly realized that her weight and Stormpaw's would be too much for the loosely packed dirt and squishy mud. The fact that he hadn't made any sound in five minutes was worrying, too, as much as she hated to admit it.<p>

"Come up just a little further and then we'll be able to grab him," Flowerpaw's voice came from above. A moment later, the WaterClan apprentice's face appeared, along with Dapplepaw's. Dawnpaw gritted her teeth and lifted the sodden apprentice a bit higher, and felt the load lighten as the other she-cat apprentices took hold of Stormpaw's scruff and tugged him across the edge.

_Good_, Dawnpaw found herself thinking. Now he's safe. Before she could squash that very surprising thought or make another move to climb upward, Emberpaw's and Mist's heads appeared and lifted her up and set her down on the nice safe earth. Rowanpaw scrambled up after her in a matter of seconds.

Dawnpaw shook herself roughly, splattering river water all over the cats in range. Her muscles felt as if she'd been carrying ten pheasants around FireClan's camp for an entire sunrise, and all she wanted to do was curl up and take a rest. Infiltrate Scar's camp? That could happen after she ate a bird and had a nice nap.

"Thanks," she coughed.

"Are you okay?" Emberpaw asked worriedly.

Wanting to conserve her words, she nodded, the mere action causing her neck to ache. She forgot about that quickly enough, though, when she remembered Stormpaw. "Is he okay?"

Flowerpaw stepped aside to reveal a dark gray bundle on the ground. At the sight of him, Dawnpaw climbed to her paws and padded—wobbled, really—over to him, her muscles screaming in protest, and crouched down to see him better.

"Hey. Are you dead?"

For a few silent seconds, no sound came, and she found herself fearing that the answer would be no, or, worse yet, that there would be no answer. And yet that would be one in itself. She tried to squash the worry building in her chest. He would be fine. Hadn't she hauled his sorry behind to the bank herself? There was no need to worry.

So why did her throat feel like it was choking?

Worry for a fellow apprentice, she told herself. It would be the same if it were Rowanpaw or Mistpaw on the ground, lying so silently and so…so…_still_. Yes, that was right. Even though he was annoying and could irritate her to death, her morals were still the same, and her feelings in a situation like this one would _still_ be the same—

"You told me not to move," a voice muttered, and Dawnpaw was suddenly staring into startling ice-blue eyes.

For a moment she thought she detected worry, concern—_Don't worry, you're perfectly fine,_ she thought, mentally rolling her eyes—and then a flash of something else, appeared and gone so quickly she wasn't able to catch it and analyze it. Could have been thankfulness. It better have been.

"No, I'm not dead," he added, breaking eye contact. "You told me not to move, so I didn't. Can't say I don't follow directions, can you?" Dawnpaw could see a smirk surfacing, and was ready to push him back into that river when he caught sight of his soaked fur, and then her water-drenched pelt. His ice-blue eyes widened as if remembering something, and this time Dawnpaw was the one who had a smirk.

"Yes, I saved you," she told him, leaning close. "Yet again."


	26. Chapter 26: Do You Need Help?

Ha! Bet you thought I wasn't going to update until Christmas, didn't you? XD Well, fortunately for you, I decided to update today. And, just to let you know, I have no school next week, thanks to Thanksgiving and an event on Monday that causes Monday to be a no-school day, too! I have no idea what the event is, but hey, as long as there's no school, right? XD I'll also be updating _Phoenix_ soon, so watch out for that. *cue cheers* But before I let you go read...

**First off, I just want to thank you all for helping me get to 200 reviews. I love seeing all of your comments, and the alerts in my email that tell me when someone reviewed, favorited, or alerted. I appreciate everything and am very glad that there are people out here that love and read this story. *hugs you all* :)**

Also, I want to inform you that this is my longest chapter yet. It's 4,557 words, seventeen words more than Chapter 23, which used to be my longest chapter. This chapter would be even longer, except I had to cut it off.

And now I have to tell you the sad news. *takes deep breath* Unfortunately, this chapter didn't include everything that I said in my last author's note that would make it epic. This chapter has some unexpected things you might like (I didn't even know that was going to happen, I sort of went off on a tangent while typing) but will not include what I had originally planned. Therefore, the next chapter will have in it the very awesome stuff that was supposed to be in here.

But don't that let you discourage you from reading! Get a nice snack and settle in—but don't choke on it if you read something surprising :P—and get reading!

Replies to anonymous reviews:

**Willowmoon:** _I'm pleased to hear that you like it! ^^ And here's the chapter. From the length, you can tell that I really had a lot of time (I typed it in two days, actually, starting from the morning I saw your review.) :P_

**Viper332:** _Oh hi, you're back! :D Don't worry, I'll always keep writing. :) Even if I don't update for seven months, I can guarantee a story will be finished, whether it's by next week or in a year, because I hate it when stories aren't finished. Keep up those reviews too, won't you? If I keep writing, that should be no problem. ;P_

What are you waiting for? Go read! :D

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 26: Do You Need Help?<span>

Staring at him just long enough to see his eyes narrow, Dawnpaw drew back and sat on her haunches, her legs shrieking at her to go lie down. She ignored them, out of pride, not because moving wasn't very painful. Even though she wanted to curl up for a while like Stormpaw was now sulkily doing, she wasn't about to in front of all the other apprentices and when there were still things to do.

"Care to explain _exactly_ what happened?" Mist asked smoothly, as if on cue.

Dawnpaw really wished that this was one of those times where you could go, "No!" and everyone would laugh. The look in the gray-and-white she-cat's eyes squashed any hope of pulling that off, however.

But before she could offer up an explanation, another cat beat her to it. "What happened was that she fell into the river and dragged me with her," he drawled.

Dawnpaw turned on him, already forgetting she had an audience. "I _did not_!" she roared. "I fell because you pushed me, and then I shouted "Help!" because that's, well, you know, a trigger response in these kinds of situations"—she paused, gathering her thoughts, which had become muddled up when she'd stumbled over her words—"and then you dove after me, even though you _couldn't swim_!"

A short pause passed before he answered. "Wrong," he replied offhandedly, in a tone that was entirely too casual to be real.

There was no doubt about it. He was lying. And Dawnpaw knew why.

Stupid toms and their pride, she thought, and then turned back to Mist.

The scarred she-cat directed her bi-colored gaze to the other apprentices who were watching with mixed reactions of curiosity, wariness, and simply holding back laughter. "Why don't you guys go off to hunt?" the scarred she-cat asked. The cluster of apprentices nodded and, with last glances at the building fight, padded off toward the copse of trees many fox-lengths away. When Mist had judged they were safely out of earshot, she asked, "So which answer is true?"

"Mine," Dawnpaw and Stormpaw answered at the same time.

With growls of frustration, they turned to face each other at the same time. Stormpaw leapt to his paws to face her head-on, but he was clearly tired by the way his legs were shaking.

_Weakling. I was the one who did the most swimming, and while carrying you, too._ "Listen, I know you have some pride to uphold," Dawnpaw snapped, "but that doesn't mean you have to lie."

His tail lashed. "Who says I am?"

"Me."

"Why are you so eager to make it known that you didn't drag me down?" he asked coolly.

"Because that's not me," Dawnpaw growled.

He looked questioningly at her and she knew he was asking her to elaborate.

She grumbled in annoyance and then sat down, sparing both her and Stormpaw's muscles for the time being. The look of relief that briefly passed over his face told her that he probably wouldn't have lasted on his paws for another second. Huh. She should have kept on standing and make him sit down first, then.

"I don't want it to be thought that I dragged you down because it's not true," she said. "And because I wouldn't ever do something like that. The thing we can agree on is that I fell. You haven't said anything about you pushing me, but that was what happened. And I wouldn't ever try to grab onto someone while falling just so I could take them down with me."

Stormpaw looked unusually thoughtful for a second, and had opened his mouth to reply when Mist cut him off.

"That's it. No more. I believe Dawnpaw."

The dark gray tom looked outraged. He closed his mouth, opened it, and then closed it again with no sound at all, very much like a fish that Rowanpaw or Flowerpaw might have caught.

"First, because her story's more believable," Mist continued. "Second, because I've had my fair share of stubborn, prideful toms." You could have put Stormpaw in the freshkill pile at the WaterClan camp and no one would know the difference, thought Dawnpaw as she watched his expression grow more shocked, and his mouth opening and closing a couple more times, as if he wanted to say something really badly but couldn't decide whether the consequences were worth it or not. He finally closed it, hearing that Mist's tone brooked no argument. "And third, because we need to get a move on."

"What?" Dawnpaw and Stormpaw shouted together.

"We're not going to wait just because a couple of apprentices decided to fall in a river," Mist stated. "We need to start moving faster. Every second wasted is a second not spent gaining Scar's trust. I also have some training planned for this afternoon so that you become accomplished in the ways of fighting that you would have been taught if you'd not been picked for the journey. I've had a few experiences with your Clans' ways of fighting," she added in response to the apprentices' inquisitive expressions. "And, all of you need to be prepared for battle when you enter Scar's camp."

Dawnpaw could see her point, but her tired paws weren't happy about it. Yet, looking at Stormpaw, he was even more unhappy about the day's planned schedule. "Okay," she said simply.

"Excellent," Mist said matter-of-factly, turning her head to peer into the distance. "We'll wait for you to hunt and eat, and then we'll start training. The other apprentices should be back around now…." As she uttered the words, small specks of cats could be seen trotting from the shade of trees toward them. "They're faster this time," the she-cat said. "Good."

Mist glanced disdainfully at the river, and then motioned with her tail. "Come. You'll be heading in that direction to hunt anyway, and I'm not about to let anyone practice fighting near that water."

Dawnpaw thought that she heard a certain someone let out a sigh of relief.

Their escort strode purposely and quickly toward her other charges, making the two apprentices already with her scramble to keep up. Dawnpaw really wished that Mist would slow down, but she wasn't going to voice her complaint. It would make her seem weak, to both the scarred she-cat and Stormpaw, and that was out of the question.

Although at this moment, the IceClan tom might not even care if she expressed any thoughts that showed softness. The stormy-pelted apprentice was stumbling along many tail-lengths behind Mist and Dawnpaw, clearly fatigued, and the tiredness fixed in his glazed eyes was evident. He wasn't even bothering to hide his exhaustion indicated by his body language, though he kept his mouth firmly shut whenever he staggered. It looked as if Stormpaw was purely counting on the she-cats ahead of him to not wonder why he wasn't up there with them, to not turn around and check on him.

Too late for that. Dawnpaw slowed, deciding what to do. Mist was padding steadily ahead, and probably wouldn't turn around if the sun dropped from the sky. She was curious, their guide. Mysterious, skilled in the ways of the Clans, and strict. That vicious-looking scar and those strange two-toned eyes didn't help matters, either. Speaking of which: Mist _had_ paired them together for hunting, and you had to be blind_ and_ deaf to not know of their fighting. That gray-and-white she-cat definitely had a plan in mind. Nonetheless, as sharp as the mysterious she-cat seemed to be, if it was to get them to stop arguing, her plan would fail like a kit trying to fly.

But about that hunting exercise—Stormpaw definitely wouldn't be able to catch even an insect right now. In fact, he'd probably lie down and take a nap once he was safely away from Mist's eyes, and Dawnpaw would go hungry. Plus, Dawnpaw thought as she took another look at the lagging tom, she had a heart. Unlike a certain IceClan tom.

Sighing, she turned back, just like she'd done in the river, and padded back to him.

Stormpaw heard her coming as she got closer and looked up, clearly surprised. Then that expression vanished as he tried to correct his faltering pawsteps, to lift his head up more, to look energetic. He was even able to drive away the dull look in his eyes, though that might have been more easy to do than suspected, because it was quickly replaced with suspicion, which Dawnpaw had expected.

"What do you want?"

"I'm helping."

Before he could shift away, she sidled up to him and, spinning around once she reached his side, lined herself up with him, head to head, tail to tail. Eye to eye.

"What are you doing?" he asked in confusion.

Dawnpaw ignored his question, instead appraising the already short distance between them. She really didn't want to get closer, but she had to be near enough so that he could lean on her if he got tired. She stepped a bit nearer, and then deemed that the smallest proximity she would go.

"Lean on me if you get tired," she instructed him, matching her strides to his pace.

Stormpaw snorted. "I don't need you to"—he stumbled and suddenly there was weight on her shoulder—"walk." He sidestepped a bit farther away.

She shrugged, moving away from him, too, but still flanking him, and secretly making sure to measure her steps so that she was traveling at the same speed that he was. "Whatever you want."

He was calculating the possibilities now; she could see it in his body language.

"Fine," he agreed at last, but not without reluctance, and closed the distance between them. Dawnpaw smirked. He'd probably decided that accepting the chance of help would be better than losing his balance and tripping, falling, and making a fool of himself when assistance had been right there. Smart choice.

But it was obvious he hated having her there, ready to support him if he faltered. He glanced at her as they padded, him moving faster to try to make it clear that he could do fine on his own, her subtly quickening her walk with no trouble at all. Stormpaw's eyes were hooded ice globes as he asked, "Why are you doing this?"

Dawnpaw shrugged insouciantly and offered up the excuse she had ready. "I'm hungry, and it's obvious that you're not really in any position to catch prey. I'm doing this so that I can make sure that I at least get a mouse to eat."

"Of course," she heard him mutter, and was surprised. Did he really think that was her real reason? Had she passed off her explanation so well he'd accepted it, or was he too tired to care? Stormpaw wasn't a gullible cat.

Or, did he actually believe that she was as so heartless that the only reason she would help someone was to benefit herself?

She didn't like that last theory.

No, not at all.

"Hey, why aren't you so tired?" Stormpaw asked with a hint of disbelief in his tone.

"I'm a strong swimmer," she said. 'Unlike you'_ were the words you might think weren't voiced out loud_, she couldn't help thinking. Looking at his sullen expression, he heard them. Or thought he heard them. Yet again, she was taken back.

Did he honestly think that was the kind of cat she was?

No, it didn't matter, Dawnpaw assured herself. Besides, it wasn't like Stormpaw cared about what she thought about him, right? Excepting his stupid pride thing, of course... She had pride too, but at least she didn't lie to protect it. Her reason had merely been because he probably wouldn't believe that she'd done it merely to help. Not that he'd fooled her with his fabrications, or Mist, either. Dawnpaw would have to call him out on it later.

Stormpaw was now eying her tentatively. "How…how can you swim, anyway?" he asked curiously.

She felt better. Here was a question she thought she could answer and not get judgment from her reply. "It's hot in our territory, you know," she said. "We need to cool down sometimes, so we find relief in streams and creeks." Much like the one we first met by, she found herself thinking with a tingle of surprise, surprise at the fact that the very thought had surfaced.

He was nodding at her to go on.

"So, suppose a kit decides to take a swim?" she continued. "Perception of depth is blurred by water. A pool of water in which you could stack thirty hawks in could be seen, to an inexperienced young eye, as a nice puddle to splash around in, and if any proficient swimmers aren't nearby, then it's most likely fatal for the kit." She was taking a breath and opening her mouth to go on when Stormpaw suddenly staggered again, but harder this time, jolting into her side. It was lucky she was there—if she hadn't been, if no one or nothing had been there beside him, he would have gone falling into the grass.

"Sorry," he muttered when he regained his balance. He was avoiding her eyes.

That's what she had been there for, hadn't she? "Because of that, every kit in FireClan is taught to swim," Dawnpaw finished. "I think I was…" She thought for a second. "Mistpaw and I were perhaps three moons when we were taught how to swim. There's a shallow pool in our camp that we use to teach swimming, and—" She suddenly remembered exactly _who_ she was talking to and shut her mouth. "So that's how I know how to swim," she added as if she hadn't suddenly dropped off the end of her previous sentence.

Feeling that she needed some information from him for divulging how she knew how to swim, she asked, "Are there any stuff that you guys have to do or know because of your territory's climate?" Probably the only response she would get was a roll of those ice blue eyes, and a snort of disbelief that she thought he'd tell her.

But instead he surprised her. "Well, if we get wet—from, say, rain—then we have a way to fix that."

"Really? What?"

"Instead of licking at our wet fur like you FireClan cats might"—Stormpaw looked to her for confirmation, and she nodded—"we…well, we rub it."

Dawnpaw let a mixture of amusement and confusion show on her face. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "We rub at it with our paws as a replacement of licking at it, which only makes a pelt wetter. In a colder climate like ours, it's better to do that instead of licking." He looked embarrassed for a second. "It works better than it sounds," he added.

Ohhh. She got it now. She nodded. "Interesting," she commented.

Stormpaw nodded stiffly, keeping his eyes ahead. The brief conversation, the quick respite from arguments had seemed to energized him somehow, and now he was cutting off the dialogue first.

Dawnpaw lashed her tail in annoyance. She should have been the one to do that. That's what you get when you try to help someone like Stormpaw, she reminded herself bitterly. Then she remembered how surprised she'd been when he had muttered, "Of course," to her ersatz reason. But this was different, she thought. This _was _how Stormpaw acted, and it was expected with sound justification.

But as they neared the rest of the apprentices—how fast their brief break from fighting had ended, she reflected—she thought she heard him murmur something.

It had sounded suspiciously like, "Thank you."

"What did you just say?" Dawnpaw asked him.

"What? I said nothing," he replied.

"You irk me," Dawnpaw muttered. Would it kill him to say thank you, or own up to doing so?

Even though the sun had yet to drop from the sky, Mist, who was already waiting for them with her four of her charges clustered around her and eating their very recently-caught fresh-kill, had turned back to look at them, wondering why they were so far behind. And when she saw the two apprentices bickering once again, yet with one leaning on the other for support, a knowing smile graced her mouth.

* * *

><p>"Hey!" called Dawnpaw to Flowerpaw, abruptly leaving Stormpaw's side. The previously there support was gone in a moment, and the immediate loss of stanchion was literally staggering: Stormpaw almost fell to the ground. His side felt…cold. Empty.<p>

But if he had been in the same situation, he would have done the same thing. No sense having to be near her for more time, or let the other cats see them.

Nevertheless, he wished she had told him she'd be going before dashing off.

He looked around for Mist so that he could tell her he was going to hunt, but Rowanpaw stopped him in his tracks.

"Here," said the ginger-and-white tom, dropping a squirrel in front of Stormpaw.

Stormpaw pawed at it gingerly. Was it poisoned? "What's this for?" he asked curiously, trying not to let his suspicion seep into his voice.

The WaterClan apprentice shrugged. "We—Emberpaw and I—didn't ask Mist beforehand if we could catch extra prey for you and Dawnpaw so you guys didn't have to hunt, but we did it anyway. We thought you might need the help." Rowanpaw looked thoughtful for a moment, as deciding something. "I'm done eating, so I'll come tell Mist with you. I'll say it was all my fault if she gets mad, so don't worry." He cracked a smile.

"…Thanks," said Stormpaw hesitantly. Why were cats being nice to him? First Dawnpaw, now Rowanpaw. "Is there any reason you're doing this?" he asked as the two toms padded in Mist's direction.

The other apprentice looked surprised for a moment. "Well, we thought it was a nice gesture," he replied. "What, don't you like squirrel?"

Stormpaw shook his head. "No, squirrel's fine."

Mist had heard them coming and was already looking up at them by the time they stood nervously in front of them. Her vole lay half-eaten at her paws. "Oh, hello," she meowed pleasantly. "Rowanpaw, didn't I just see you eating a fish?"

Stormpaw looked at the other tom, startled. He'd gone swimming in that blasted river again, just so he could catch a meal? What kind of snowflake-brained cat would do that willingly? Then, with a flash of embarrassment, he remembered that Rowanpaw was from WaterClan. He considered himself lucky that at least he hadn't voiced his astonishment out loud.

"Yeah," Rowanpaw said. "But the squirrel is for Stormpaw."

Mist eyed Stormpaw. "That was a fast hunt," she said carefully.

Rowanpaw nudged Stormpaw, and Stormpaw swallowed hard. "Uh, actually, Rowanpaw caught this for me," he said, stepping forward. "We wanted to know if you would allow me to take a break from hunting today because I feel tired from swimming in the river—I can still train, though," he added quickly.

The gray-and-white patched she-cat looked at both of them for a moment. Then, to Stormpaw's relief and surprise, she nodded and actually _smiled_. "Good job, Rowanpaw," she complimented. Stormpaw had thought that she would scold them both for not sticking to the rules! Not that he wasn't glad that she'd agreed to him skipping hunting today, but he hadn't been hoping very hard for that answer. "That's what helping your teammates is."

The ginger-and-white tom dipped his head in response, the flicking of his tail the only sign that he was happy to have received the praise.

Mist gave Stormpaw an amused glance. "You can go and sit down now," she told him. "Your legs are trembling." His ears went hot, though it was true. "You can also tell Emberpaw and Dawnpaw that Dawnpaw's allowed to eat the bird," she went on, nodding past them.

Stormpaw looked in the direction of Mist's gaze. And there were the two FireClan apprentices, looking as happy as could be. Emberpaw was saying something, making the golden-furred she-cat nod vivaciously and purr, causing a whole bunch of feathers to flutter from the ground from the sparrow she was holding in her mouth. The sparrow that the FireClan tom had obviously gone out of his way to catch and give it to Dawnpaw.

An emotion shot through him. Was that…was that…_jealousy_? he thought, shock widening his eyes.

No. It couldn't be, he thought, picking up his squirrel and following Rowanpaw reluctantly toward the two laughing FireClan cats. He was simply annoyed that he wasn't able to pay her back for saving his life yet again. He_ hated_ owing cats, being in debt with someone, not being able to pay them back. It was an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach, and with Dawnpaw rescuing him from the river, the weight in his stomach had only multiplied.

So, him giving his squirrel to Dawnpaw and hunting for something for himself could have easily paid back some of his debt. But, it appeared that he'd missed his chance, and that didn't sit well with him. Yes, he thought, that was it.

"Hey, I don't owe you anything for this, right?" he asked Rowanpaw as they sat down.

The ginger-and-white tom looked over from where he had been talking to Flowerpaw, who had joined them. "No, of course not," he replied evenly. "Did you think I was going to ask you for your firstborn kit with Dapplepaw?"

Stormpaw's pelt went hot. "No," he muttered to the backup sound of Dawnpaw laughing.

"Hey, what are you laughing about?" a voice said.

Oh, wonderful._ Just_ who he wanted to see. From her question, he concluded that she hadn't heard Rowanpaw's remark. Good.

"Nothing," Dawnpaw said with a smirk.

Stormpaw looked slowly up from his squirrel to see Dapplepaw glaring at the FireClan apprentice. She finally settled on a "Humph," as a reply, and sat down next to Stormpaw.

It made sense, Stormpaw reflected. With Flowerpaw, almost all the apprentices were gathered here. Dapplepaw wouldn't want to be left out, or look as if she was sitting alone. No one did. And of course, when she joined them, she would go for the cat who was most familiar for her, even if that cat didn't like her very much.

However, figuring out all of this didn't meant that the situation still didn't suck.

_Please don't try to make conversation with me, please don't try to make conversation with me,_ Stormpaw pleaded silently as he stared down at the ground and took bites of his squirrel, chewing them as long as he could to make the fresh-kill last. _Please don't try to—_

"Hi," Dapplepaw said to him.

_FOX-DUNG._

He took his eyes off the half-eaten squirrel and hastily swallowed. "Hello," he said back in a guarded tone.

"You know, I wouldn't have even thought Dawnpaw could swim," Dapplepaw remarked. "And just to let you know, if I knew how to swim, I definitely would have rescued you instead."

His fur rose slightly. _Okay… _"Thanks. That's very reassuring," he remarked in a tone of voice that would have made most cats cautious in what they said next. The spotted she-cat didn't seem to take the hint, though. "And for your information, FireClan cats know how to swim because their territory's more humid than ours, so they have to know how to swim so they can cool off completely."

"Oh. Huh," said Dapplepaw, and Stormpaw could see that she was memorizing his words to use later, probably in battle, or to tell Snowstar when they got back.

A hiss sounded. Stormpaw looked up to see Dawnpaw glaring at him.

_I don't recall telling you that you could blab that to all the Clans!_ she mouthed, green eyes on fire with rage.

Before he could reply, Flowerpaw said to Emberpaw, "Wow, that's really cool. I wouldn't have thought FireClan cats could swim, but I guess with your climate it's pretty logical."

_And what are _you_ doing?_ Stormpaw mouthed back.

_Sharing information with my friends!_ the golden she-cat spat.

"Hey, did you know that IceClan cats have a way to dry themselves efficiently?" the FireClan apprentice abruptly said, evidently ending her silent conversation with him and finding a way to get him back.

Rowanpaw shot a glance at Stormpaw. "No," he said.

"Tell," said Emberpaw eagerly, sitting up straighter and curling his light brown-streaked tail around his paws.

Stormpaw fumed. He couldn't even catch her gaze; Dawnpaw was avoiding looking at him as she began to disclose the information that he had told her before. Her evasion was subtle, as she was sitting diagonally from him, but when you'd just had a silent argument with plenty of angry glowers that was suddenly ended without agreement on one side, it wasn't difficult to tell that the other cat was now ignoring you.

Stormpaw violently tore into his squirrel, taking his anger out on it, and finished it off in a matter of seconds. He then realized that he didn't have anything to do as an excuse to not talk to Dapplepaw, so he was reluctantly preparing himself for another irritating conversation with the spotted brown apprentice when Mist's voice sounded.

"Apprentices, finish up whatever bite you're on and gather around me! We're going to start your first day of training!"

With much relief, Stormpaw sprang to his paws as if his tail was on fire—and with this sudden exertion, his muscles subsequently felt as if they were on fire—and hurried toward the gray-and-white patched she-cat, who was standing perhaps seven tail-lengths away. As he made his way toward Mist, he bumped into someone.

"Sorry," they both muttered at the same time.

The other apprentice's head shot upward in surprise; Stormpaw, too, was startled. But he got over that quickly enough to give Dawnpaw a scathing look for telling the other apprentices about IceClan's drying method. Then he tore his eyes away and padded toward Mist as fast as he could.

He found himself sitting next to Rowanpaw. Wary of the pithy remark about kits that the WaterClan tom had made before, he shifted away, but Rowanpaw was already speaking.

"That's pretty ingenious," the ginger-and-white apprentice said to him.

"What are you talking about?"

"The fur drying thing," Rowanpaw said. "Judging from the glares you were shooting at Dawnpaw that told everyone you wanted to kill her, the idea was not meant to be told to us. But I want to say that I thought your fur-drying method was very clever."

Stormpaw nodded coolly inside, but in his head he was groaning. _Marvelous._ At this rate, he wouldn't need to know any not-very-secret-anymore IceClan fur-drying methods. His heat-flushed pelt and ears would keep him warm enough. Between the rescuing, aid, not-meant-to-be-told information, and arguments, today was a very bad day.

It got even worse when Mist told them what they were going to learn.

"What kind of stuff are we going to train in?" Flowerpaw asked.

Mist walked a few paces to her left and then back to her original place. She gave first Dawnpaw, and then Stormpaw, a guarded yet amused look before speaking; a furtive glance that Stormpaw only understood with much dismay when Mist next spoke.

"We're going to practice swimming."

* * *

><p>Ha, did you see what I did there with Rowanpaw's remark about kits (and in Chapter 23)? XD I wonder if you also noticed how I wrote how Mist turned back even when the sun hadn't dropped from the sky, an event which Dawnpaw had earlier remarked wouldn't even get Mist to turn back. I love writing connections and recurrences. One of my favorite recurring things to see is reviews. Suppose you could grant my wish? ;3<p>

~Ponyiowa


	27. Chapter 27: Safe and Sound

**A/N: I had writer's block. D: I finally got it done, though. The title is a reference to Taylor Swift's _Safe and Sound_, which I love. :3 In a few places, it's choppy, but I couldn't find any way around that. Please give me some concrit when you're done-although I am fully aware that your reviews might all be made up of squealing. ;P Read until the end, please! Happy belated New Year!**

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* * *

><p><span>Chapter 27: Safe and Sound<span>

Dawnpaw immediately looked to Stormpaw to see his reaction. It was just as she'd expected: He was sitting there, mouth slightly agape, an expression of great dismay plastered across his features. She felt a spark of sympathy, as she would for anyone else in his position. But seriously, she thought, did he think that he'd drown surrounded by other cats? Or that they'd let him?

She made a mental note to keep an eye out for him in the water.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's only the IceClan apprentices who can't swim, right?" Mist asked.

Where did this mysterious she-cat get all this information? Dawnpaw thought with wonderment and a healthy dose of suspicion. She knew she would have heard of a shadowy loner or rogue from Clan gossip, her parents, or the FireClan elders, but there had been no mention of a cat with Mist's appearance. Or, perhaps, Mist had been secretly listening in to the apprentices' conversation. There was no way of knowing for sure.

Before, this question would have been met with shrugs and puzzled expressions from everyone but the FireClan apprentices, but now, thanks to Stormpaw—_not_—every cat nodded.

"Excellent," Mist purred. "The IceClan apprentices will be surrounded by cats who know how to swim, and that should set a good enough example. The swimmers can practice and the others can watch and learn."

Dawnpaw stifled a snigger at Mist's newfound enthusiasm. She was sure that Dapplepaw and Stormpaw wouldn't be so excited about the gray-and-white she-cat's training plan and description of their swimming skill, or lack thereof.

"Let's go, then!" Mist chirped, beginning to walk toward the river. The apprentices followed. Dawnpaw watched as Stormpaw followed, too, so well that he caught up with Mist and appeared to be asking her a question. She guessed it was a request to sit out of the swim practice-slash-learning, and she was very sure when the scarred she-cat shook her head no and Stormpaw traipsed dejectedly back to where Rowanpaw was standing.

Mist stood by the bank, waiting for and watching the apprentices go into the river. Dawnpaw was suspicious. Once all the apprentices were down in the water, including the not-able-to-swim IceClan apprentices, would the scarred she-cat ditch them?

Emberpaw, Dapplepaw, and Rowanpaw had gone in the water, and then it was Stormpaw's turn. Dawnpaw looked on with amusement as he padded forward cautiously and then scrambled backward with what might have been a kit-like squeal. Granted, they were all only seven moons old and recently made apprentices—which seemed like quite a long time ago, though—it was entertaining and out of character, bringing the IceClan tom out of his ice-like shell. And if it was because he had to dive into a roaring river that he'd nearly drowned in only a couple hours ago, so be it. She, on the other paw, wouldn't show she was scared of something unless everyone else was.

"Come on," meowed Mist impatiently. "You're slowing down the lesson and causing everyone to have to wait for you."

"Sorry," she heard Stormpaw answer. "I just need a second." But he continued to stare at the rushing water for several more moments. Shouts of impatience bounced up from the cats already in the water, with a yowl of fear that was Dapplepaw, though thankfully quieter as an effect of the distance between the spotted she-cat and Dawnpaw.

A new way to get rid of your enemies and those that annoy you greatly! she mused amusedly in her mind. Just dump then in a rushing, very deep river that might lead to a group of evil cats, on the pretense of you practicing swimming with them or teaching them how to swim! Then run away as fast as you can! Bonus if the other cat can't swim!

As she finished that nice thought, she was once again reminded of her horrible suspicious she'd had only a few minutes ago. What if Mist really did plan to leave them in the river? Perhaps Stormpaw had another reason for not diving into the river so eagerly. Dawnpaw hadn't been paying so much attention to the territory they'd travelled that she was sure she'd be able to find her way back to the Clans without Mist's help.

But the leaders had let them go with this she-cat, hadn't they? They were leaders for a reason and must have good reasoning. But Snowstar had led a whole battle to stop them from going, hadn't he? Yet, Dawnpaw was beginning to realize that Snowstar was pretty stubborn and mistrustful, and the battle had been his way of having a little tantrum with hopes of persuading Smokestar to agree with him as a bonus on the side.

But so far the gray-and-white patched she-cat hadn't done anything too suspicious except have an unexplainable, unusually large wealth of knowledge of the Clans for a non-Clan cat. And no one, not even the elders, had seemed to know of or recognize Mist as a loner or rogue.

Evidently seeing that it was going to take a while for Stormpaw to climb down into the river, Flowerpaw nudged her and whispered, "Hey, didn't you tell me four sunrises ago that you were going to think up a plan to get Stormpaw back? I promised to help, remember? But I can't even I don't even know what the plan is!" she added teasingly.

Dawnpaw froze. That was right! She _had _said that she would think up a plan four days ago, and_ had_ enlisted Flowerpaw's help in executing it. But between fighting with a certain tom, travelling, cautiously hunting with a certain tom, sleeping, and rescuing a certain tom, she'd completely forgotten!

But as she thought of what to say, she suddenly got a brilliant, albeit mean idea. "My plan is to push Stormpaw into the river," Dawnpaw whispered to Flowerpaw, motioning to his crouched figure with her tail.

Flowerpaw eyed her, not in the least bit blinded with her brilliant idea. "You came up with that just five seconds ago," she guessed. "Perhaps not even more than three."

Dawnpaw purred. Flowerpaw was certainly observant! "Okay fine, you got me," she admitted. "But isn't it a good idea?"

The WaterClan apprentice grinned deviously. "A little mean and it's a plan that will definitely give him a shock, but I like it."

"Let's go, then."

Mist was now peering down into the river too, probably to check on Dapplepaw, and Dawnpaw reflected on how easy it would be to push Mist into the river, too. That way she could make sure that the scarred she-cat wouldn't abandon them.

That way, she could also guarantee the loss of whatever (little) amount of trust the gray-and-white she-cat had placed in her.

Plus, with Dawnpaw's latest luck, Mist would know how to swim very well on top of everything else, and would swim away if she'd been planning to ditch them in the first place, therefore pushing her into the water a waste of time.

With this in mind, she silently ran up behind Stormpaw and pushed him roughly into the river.

"I hate you!" the dark gray tom shouted when he finally surfaced, spitting and snapping and flailing.

Dawnpaw was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "I know," she replied smoothly, leaning over the precipice to see him better.

His ice-blue eyes were alight with fury, and for the first time she saw raw, uncontrolled anger in them.

"I'm not saying this in the heat of the moment," the tom roared/yowled. "I'm serious. I completely meant it and am not going to take it back.

_Ever_!"

Dawnpaw tilted her head to the side as if listening for something.

"Hear that?" she yelled. "It's the very unique sound of no one caring!"

Stormpaw opened his mouth to presumably yell something back, but it was then filled with water, not angry words, as he went under.

Uh-oh. He was tiring. No real surprise there; he couldn't swim, and instead of spending his first moments in the water paddling for the bank side, he'd opted to scream at her instead. Understandable, really. The other apprentices had scattered when Stormpaw had hit the water and gone very far away from him to avoid being caught in the stormy-pelted apprentice's rage. Dapplepaw had gotten her claws into the bank side and now clung there like a four-legged spider.

Stormpaw popped up again and then swam to a spot next to Dapplepaw. Dawnpaw let out a sigh of relief and unclenched muscles she hadn't known were taut. She wouldn't have to go down there and pull him up again, after all.

"Don't take forever."

Dawnpaw turned around to see Mist looking at her. "Well, go in," the gray-and-white she-cat said.

She hadn't given any hint of a punishment, and that made Dawnpaw nervous. _It had been a stupid idea, _she thought. She'd been too impulsive. She should have let him take his time, and then slip beetles into his fresh-kill later.

But what was done was done, and there was no way she was apologizing to Stormpaw.

Dawnpaw dove and hit the water exactly where she'd wanted to. She heard the IceClan apprentice growl at her, which she thought was quite immature.

"Don't worry," she told him. "I'm not planning on going near you anytime soon." But her tone was curiously tinged with bits of guilt, fragments of embarrassment and resignation.

She didn't know why her voice had sounded like that, she thought perplexedly as she turned away from the stormy-pelted apprentice hanging on the bank side next to Dapplepaw. That much proximity to the spotted she-cat should please him, shouldn't it? Besides, it wasn't as if she cared if he seriously, truthfully hated her.

After all, she felt the same exact emotion for him as he did for her.

Perhaps she hated him to an even greater degree than he did.

Right?

* * *

><p>Stormpaw held on, shaking, to the bank side. <em>How dare she!<em> he thought angrily. How dare she push him into the river knowing _full well_ that he couldn't swim, and _laugh _about it! He liked the surface much better than the bottom of the river, with oxygen being a big factor in his preference, but at least the silt-covered floor of the river was inhabited by fish and other water creatures, not annoying golden apprentices who saved you one moment and pushed you back in that death trap the next.

But most of all, he hated the fact that he'd let himself go like that. He was proud of his ability to remain controlled. Like a true IceClan cat, he tried to show only the emotions he wanted to be seen, to mask his true feelings. Sure, she knew very well that he hated her. He'd let her. But this… This was _just embarrassing_. Feeling a whole new wave of mortification sweep over him like the water that lapped at his legs, he dug his claws even deeper into the bank side until dark gray fur was pressed hard to the loosely packed, wet soil, and put his head on the wall of earth, closing his eyes.

Stormpaw decided to give Dawnpaw the silent treatment. It was a thing little kits did, but it just might get the message across.

He _had_ to learn how to swim. Yes, it would take his mind off what had just happened. And when he had accomplished the technique, Dawnpaw would no longer be able to push him into a river, watch him flail helplessly, and laugh about it like it was the most humorous thing ever.

He opened his eyes and lifted his head up to see if Mist was in the water yet. Yes, she was; she had just jumped in.

"Ready?" asked Mist.

"Very," muttered Stormpaw among the volley of _yeses_ that came from the other apprentices.

"First off," began Mist, "you have to know how to float. If you are too tired to actually swim, this will come in handy."

Stormpaw was pleased at this. _Sounds easy._ But, as he quickly, found out, it was not.

He flipped onto his stomach after nearly sinking to the bottom of the river on his back.

"How are you doing?" Dawnpaw swam by, belly-up, waving a paw just like an otter.

"Good, just fine," he ground out before he remembered that he was not going to talk to her. He moved a few tail-lengths away and tried again. He was sinking again before he could even say "Fox-dung."

"You keep on thrashing your legs, and that's wrecking your balance," Dawnpaw observed. "Don't move your limbs."

Stormpaw tried to do as she said, but he felt himself sink just a bit, and was immediately on his stomach, ears laid back in panic.

"Onto your back again," Dawnpaw ordered. "And this time, sink your head into the river as far back as it can go without water dripping into your eyes, nose, or mouth."

"As far back?" he squeaked.

She sighed. "Yes. Do it."

Reluctantly, he turned onto his back and tried not to move. But he was sinking again.

"Put your head down!"

He did so. _If this is a trick, she will pay triple-time… I don't know how, but she will._

But to his surprise, it was working! The water lapped at his ears, but he was _floating_. He had mastered it.

After a few seconds of floating quite wonderfully, he remembered Dawnpaw.

"Oh, and thanks."

"No problem."

Stormpaw dove under and toward Mist before the situation could get even more awkward.

"Does everyone know how to float now?"

A chorus of assent came back, and Mist nodded. "Now for paddling. Should be easy, right? Just keep on kicking and moving your paws. Feel the water moving under your feet and push back with your paws to move yourself forward. Don't splash very much; it uses up your energy faster. Ready? Go."

Eager to master this as well, Stormpaw started, forcing back the water with his paws. But no matter how hard he paddled, he found himself sinking. With a frustrated groan, he flipped onto his back to float while he reviewed Mist's instructions in his head.

A chuckled sounded, and Stormpaw turned his head to see Dawnpaw smirking. "Didn't you hear her, mousebrain? She said not to kick so much. You're making enough waves to pull us all under. Move with quick little thrusts of your feet."

Stormpaw gritted his teeth. Make fun of him, would she? _Just wait until I find something that you're not good at and I am,_ he thought. Even so, he took her advice when he tried again, kicking less flamboyantly this time. And to his surprise, he felt himself moving forward.

He set a goal in his mind: reach the bankside. Slowly, he paddled toward his destination. Before he knew it, he was there—at a place where only a few minutes ago, he'd been feeling frustration and humiliation course through him. Now, he felt only pure triumph and exhilaration and streak through his heart.

"If everyone knows how to do this, let's move on," said Mist. "I want each of you to swim from one side of the river to the other and back. Rowanpaw, you first."

The apprentices lined up and waited for their turn as the white-and-ginger tom swam across and back. Stormpaw had to admire him. Even though he wasn't quite sure how you were supposed to look like when you swam—he was only a beginner—he could clearly see that Rowanpaw was very good at swimming. His strokes were clean, and large splashes were scarce. Stormpaw suddenly felt worried. Would he do okay? More importantly, would the other cats think he did all right?

Rowanpaw finished and went to the back of the line; Emberpaw went next. He was nearly as good as the WaterClan tom. Stormpaw had been fifth in line. Now he was fourth.

Dapplepaw launched off the bank side and, almost immediately, Mist was shouting instructions. "No! Don't stick your head up so much; you're slowing yourself down. Don't splash as much! Right. At least you're mov—" The gray-and-white she-cat stopped in mid-sentence when a wave from Dapplepaw's paddling caught her in the face.

"Sorry!" Dapplepaw squeaked, and then dove under, making for the other side as fast as she could.

Stormpaw was sympathetic. He didn't like his Clanmate, but they shared the same predicament, and it would be truly cruel to laugh at her efforts—he might accidentally splash Mist in the face as well. He thought he would hear Dawnpaw laughing, but there was only the slap of waves against land.

Where was the golden-furred she-cat, anyway?

She wasn't ahead in line, and she hadn't gone yet, so…

He turned around, and there she was, watching Dapplepaw attempt to make it across and back with narrowed eyes. Surprised, he nearly lost his grip on the cliff side, and turned his head back so fast he nearly wrenched his neck. Did she know he'd looked at her?

Mist gave Dapplepaw some more tips on swimming when she finally finished, and it was Flowerpaw's turn. The light brown she-cat swam like a fish, and Stormpaw even caught her corkscrewing through the water for a few moments. She was at the end of the line before Stormpaw could even have a chance to think _This is going to go very badly _one more time.

Mist nodded at Stormpaw once, and he took a deep breath and dove.

He came up for air two tail-lengths later, looking around for Mist while doing so. The scarred she-cat was watching impassively. So far, there were no corrections. That was good.

He continued paddling, remembering what Dawnpaw had said about kicking.

Stormpaw reached the other side. He paused for only four seconds, wishing he could rest for more, but he knew it would make him seem weak. He launched off and began swimming the second and last lap.

His muscles were getting tired now, and he was aware that his strokes were becoming less neat and more akin to the flopping of a fish.

"Push with your paws!" Mist yelled.

Stormpaw nodded at her, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he merely appeared as if he were bobbing his head up and down so that more water could smack him in the face. Only seven more fox-lengths to go…

_Must not…give…up…._

But it was no use. No matter how hard he kicked, his muscles felt like mush. Like snowmelt pooling inside the IceClan camp.

"Onto your back!" Mist ordered, noticing his difficulty. "Float!"

Stormpaw obediently flipped onto his back, but, fox-dung, he had forgotten how exactly to float. He was sinking within seconds. Panic swept through him like a wildfire.

"Head back as far as you can!" Mist barked.

Stormpaw did so, but it didn't help. He flailed his paws, hoping that would move him forward. Instead, he went underwater and came up gasping.

Suddenly, something—or someone—was there, holding him up.

"_Dawnpaw_?" he choked out, eyes wide in surprise.

"Well, it seems that someone needs more swimming lessons," the she-cat muttered. She turned her head. "We're closer to the other side than the one where the others are at, so let's go there."

Stormpaw nodded mutely and let her help him to the other side. Once he was safely anchored to the dirt wall, he asked, "Why'd you come all the way over here?"

"I saw you were in trouble, so I helped."

"And?"

"Well, I uh…sort of feel guilty about before… So, you'd better learn how to swim correctly before all my guilt vanishes. Rest a bit, and then you can complete what you started."

It was an apology. An_ apology_.

Stormpaw smiled, and opened his mouth to speak, but something wet hit him on the nose and exploded over his eyes. Instead of words, a sputter came out, and he shook his head to clear his vision.

"What was that?"

"Haven't you ever seen water before?"

"Yes," he growled. He watched more drips of water fall down. "But it's a raindrop."

Then she grasped the full meaning of what he was saying, and tilted her head back. The sky had grown dark and cloudy—night was falling, and a rainstorm was on the way.

Dawnpaw flicked an ear. "No matter; you can make it back in time."

But as she said that, thunder rumbled in the distance. Several seconds later, lightning flashed.

"Everyone out of the water!" shouted Mist.

But wait—they were separated by a roaring river. "What do we do?" asked Dawnpaw.

Mist paused on her climb up one bank side. "Get out on your side. We'll regroup in the morning!"

* * *

><p>Dawnpaw was cold. She shivered. The night had turned colder even though it was early green-leaf, and the rain falling didn't help. There was no shelter here: only bare rock and a few patches of stringy grass and earth here and there. She tried to make herself cozier in her nest of grass, but there wasn't enough to protect her pelt from the cold stone, and she felt too tired to go pull up more. She peered at Stormpaw, two tail-lengths away, and wished she had his thicker fur.<p>

Though, after their swim, it might be better to have sleeker fur. A pelt like that would collect more water and take longer to dry.

Nevertheless, the river water had soaked her to the bone. The fact that it was both his fault that she'd fallen in the river in the first place and that she stayed so long in the rushing water, because the stupid mousebrain couldn't swim and was drowning, so she had to carry him to the bank.

Speaking of which…

She hadn't dragged him down with her, she was sure of it. The image was still imprinted on her mind: Stormpaw, peering over the bank edge with an expression of horrified shock. Something else had been in his ice-blue gaze, she was sure of it. But it sure as heck wasn't concern or worry. She would never see a look like that for her welfare in his eyes, and it was the same for her.

"Listen, I'll still be here in the morning, so stop looking at me like that," a voice meowed smoothly, breaking Dawnpaw out of her thoughts.

With a start, she realized that she was staring at Stormpaw.

And he was staring back, too.

She broke the shared look first. "I was thinking," she said, defiantly bringing her eyes from a tree she'd been pretending to study, and locked eyes with him.

"Yeah?" he said. "Congratulations, but I don't really care—"

"I have a question," she said, stepping closer to emphasize the seriousness.

"I want to go to sleep," he told her pointedly.

"I think my question's more important than getting a few seconds of sleep," Dawnpaw asserted.

"Not if that time is spent in the company of you," the dark gray apprentice muttered.

Dawnpaw felt her pelt warm. She literally felt like a warrior of FireClan, striding into battle to face cold-hearted, icy-eyed toms.

"Who turned back to save you and dragged you all the way to the bank?" she fumed. "You wouldn't know gratitude if it came up and bit you on the sorry behind I had to haul all the way to safety!"

"You wouldn't have had to if I hadn't," Stormpaw began to say, and then quickly closed her mouth.

She was intrigued. Setting aside her anger for the moment—she could make him thank her later—she sat down on her haunches and asked, "What were you going to say?"

The stormy-pelted tom was trying entirely too hard to look nonplussed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Dawnpaw fixed him with her best glare. "Tell me."

He shrugged, as nonchalant as could be. "I can't if I don't give a clue about what you're talking about, and because I don't give two mousetails about the asker of the question."

Dawnpaw huffed. She would catch him off-guard later and then ambush him with the question.

She realized that Stormpaw had gone silent. She glanced around and burst out laughing at the sight of Stormpaw covered with grass when she found him. Now, he wasn't just a dark gray cat. He was a _ridiculously_-_looking_, green grass-speckled dark gray cat.

He cracked open one eye at the sound. "Shut up," he growled. "I'll be the one laughing my head off when your pelt is soaked to the bone with rain."

* * *

><p>Stormpaw was almost asleep when Dawnpaw broke the silence.<p>

"Well, are you going to say thank you?" she snapped.

"For what?" Stormpaw meowed, rolling lazily onto his back.

"For me rescuing you from drowning," she said.

"I thought I did."

"No, that was you muttering a half-hearted thank you for making sure you didn't collapse on the ground on the way to the other apprentices."

"I didn't say that for that, either."

"You basically just admitted that you didn't thank me for either of those deeds."

"You like being thanked, don't you?"

"Shut up."

"If I'm silent, I can't say a thank you. I guess I'm off the hook, then?"

"I'll get the thank you from you, and then kill you," Dawnpaw mused, as if he wasn't there anymore. "Yes, that's a good plan."

"I'm going to sleep," Stormpaw announced. "If I am woken by you before sunrise, I will not take responsibility for anything that happens."

He closed his eyes and heard Dawnpaw mutter in disgruntlement. He smiled in triumph, and then fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Dawnpaw was jolted awake by a crash of thunder. The rain was still falling, much to her displeasure. She glanced over at Stormpaw, sound asleep and looking comfy, covered by a good amount of his fur and grass.<p>

She moved just a bit closer and then closed her eyes.

* * *

><p><em>He was drowning… <em>

_Waves filled his mouth and poured out his ears. Water dripped from his eyes like Twoleg tears. His pelt was drenched. There was no more air. _

_ Down…down…down he went, spiraling into the darkness._

Stormpaw awoke from his nightmare, panting in fear. _It's okay, _he told himself._ You know how to swim now. Mostly._ A raindrop hit his ear, and he grimaced.

He looked over at Dawnpaw, who was asleep and shivering.

He shifted closer a few kittensteps and went to sleep, hoping that there wouldn't be another nightmare waiting for him.

* * *

><p>Dawnpaw woke. She had to go make dirt.<p>

When she returned, she found that her nest had fallen apart. She let out a huff of annoyance and pushed the grass together again, perhaps a bit closer to the sleeping gray apprentice on accident.

She finished, curled up in her nest, and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Stormpaw blinked open sleepy eyes. Something had hit him, too big to be raindrops—which were still descending down from the cloudy atmosphere, he noticed in irritation.<p>

Had it been Dawnpaw?

The FireClan apprentice's eyes were closed, but as he watched, she rolled over and kicked out. The hit caught him in the flank.

"Hey! Ouch!"

Dawnpaw settled down and wrapped her tail around her nose.

She looked rather cold, Stormpaw thought. Didn't FireClan cats have thinner pelts to deal with the humidity in their territory? Thunder lashed the sky, and more water poured down. Stormpaw observed as the rain hit Dawnpaw's golden coat; the she-cat shivered.

With a sigh, Stormpaw closed the space between them and pressed his pelt to hers. He would wake up in the morning before her and be far away, so that she wouldn't ever know what had happened. She wouldn't know of what he had done.

He noticed that she had stopped shivering, and closed his eyes, a purr rumbling in his throat.

* * *

><p>Far above them, the rain ceased and the sky finally began to clear.<p> 


	28. Chapter 28: A Failed Interrogation

**A/N: Hi, guys! I loved reading your reviews; they made me grin a lot. Especially yours, Helper. XD One thing, though: if you are anonymous, please put a name for yourself other than "Guest." Otherwise it gets confusing. :P Now, onto the chapter!**

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><p><span>Chapter 28: A Failed Interrogation<span>

Something warm was at her side.

Whatever the something was, it—or they—smelled nice.

Deciding it was time to wake up, Dawnpaw rolled over, rubbed her face with a paw, and then opened her eyes to see—

"_Stormpaw_!" she yowled in surprise, leaping back.

How in StarClan had she—no, how had _he_ ended up next to her? Now that she thought of it, she was sure that he had shifted places during the night quite drastically—on his right side was a scattering of grass. Considering the trail of grass to her left, it appeared that she had moved, too. She cleaned up her side, but promptly messed it up again by pacing quite furiously around. Eventually she decided to take her anger out on the sleeping tom. This time she was going to get an explanation from him, whether he liked it or not.

"_Wake up_!"

Stormpaw merely twitched an ear.

"You'd better open your eyes _right now_, or I'll open them for you and then carve them out and throw them in a river."

Slowly, one ice-blue pupil appeared. It blinked at her lethargically, apparently not noticing her glare, until the other opened and both of his eyes grew wide with shock.

Stormpaw leapt up, turning his head from side to side very quickly. Dawnpaw watched him note the scattered grass, his rumpled pelt, and finally, his gaze shifted back to her and she nearly smirked as she saw him take in her thunderous expression.

All of this happened in less than three seconds, and when that time was up, Stormpaw had composed himself and was pretentiously grooming his fur.

"Do you have an explanation?" Dawnpaw spat.

Stormpaw even managed to be surprised, or at least look like it. "Hmm? I thought that was obvious; you clearly were dying to get closer to me, so you snuck up on me during the night."

This was going to be impossible.

"If you take a look at where we started off on," Dawnpaw said pointedly, walking stiffly to the place she was sure she had been yesterday, "we _both_ moved."

"Yeah, but who moved more?"

"So, you're admitting that you moved. Ha!" Dawnpaw gave him a smug smile. "And we can measure, if you want."

"No, I'm merely baiting you. This is quite entertaining for me. And please don't be serious in that you're going to try to see which distance is more to find out whose fault it is," Stormpaw sniffed.

"Fine, then. I won't go to the trouble. I'll just say all of it's your doing."

"To who? The_ air_?"

"No, to…" Dawnpaw trailed off; she knew he had her there. "Well, I'll know it! And you will, too. Isn't that alone too much for your poor ego?"

"Ah, but now you're boring me." Stormpaw finished smoothing down his tail. "The wind could have picked up some pieces of grass and flown them a few paces further, which completely destroys your theory. If you don't have any real, supportable facts, I suggest you stop talking now." He turned his back to her and began to pick his way across the stone ground, towards the river.

Dawnpaw ground her teeth. So this was his method to dealing with things he couldn't or wouldn't confess, wasn't it? Acting arrogant and annoying and pretending to know next to nothing about what you were talking about—right, that was usually his performance most of the time, too. But as much as she was loathe to admit it, he had a point: the wind easily could have done that. And as long as that question was in the air, he wouldn't fess up to having moved, and she wouldn't be quite sure, either. _Darn him._

She wasn't sure if there had been wind last night, either. She'd been too busy trying to go to sleep so that she could escape the cold and the rain, at least for a while. She was glad it had stopped when she woke up, although what replaced it was even more atrocious than a thunderstorm.

"Last night was quite rainy," she remarked, hoping that she could get him to let his guard down with a couple comments about the weather. "I doubt you noticed the cold, though, what with your thick pelt and your dense skull."

His response was quite surprising. He whirled around, ice-blue eyes wide and dark gray fur puffed up, ears laid back and mouth open, nearly skidding on the rain-slick rock. "_What_?"

Dawnpaw flicked him on his side with her tail. "Wow, you seem really shocked. I guess you didn't hear the storm after all." Giving him a strange look to show just how weird he was behaving, she carefully minced past him, not stopping until she reached the riverbank. The water appeared just as wild as it had the day before—perhaps even more. Backlit by the sun, which was just beginning to rise, and the dawn, stretching its rosy paws across the sky, it was quite a picture to see.

It really was funny, the way Stormpaw had responded. Perhaps later she could interrogate him more, but they had to get back before the others thought that they'd been busy becoming friends, and that that was the reason why they arrived late.

She glanced over her shoulder to see the IceClan apprentice hurrying to join her, still looking as disheveled as a few minutes before when she'd made the remark about last night's cold. Dawnpaw gave him a devilish grin. And then she leaped over the side into the river.

* * *

><p>She couldn't possibly suspect his real reason…could she?<p>

He'd thought it was fine, that he'd succeeded in warding her off, until she made that blasted comment about the cold. She was sharp; she'd noticed his reaction. And that grin she'd gave him before disappearing…

Stormpaw shook his head. No. He was just overreacting, he told himself. Shaking off the last of the river water, he imagined his features becoming calm, and all of his haphazard, unruly emotions being boxed away in the back of his mind, like a true IceClan cat. Only one thing remained: his purpose. His objective, which was to infiltrate Scar's camp. To do that, he had to be the best in training that he could be. He glanced back at the river, and flicked his tail, pleased with his successful crossing. He was nowhere near as fast as Dawnpaw, who had zoomed through the water and to the other side like a golden fish, but at least he hadn't needed help this time. The Clans weren't built in a day.

"Miiiist? Flowerpaw? Emberpaw?" Ahead, Dawnpaw was walking quickly, sweeping her head from side to side to see if she could spot their fellow cats.

"Raise your voice even more. _Then_ you might be able to break my eardrums." The words were out before he could stop them.

She paused and turned around to shoot him a dirty look. "I'm merely trying to get to them faster. If you think you have a better method of finding them, you can try it."

Stormpaw ignored her, turning his head to the side. He shouldn't have made that comment; shouting out names was actually logical. Oh, well. She didn't seem to have lingered on it for more than a moment, so that was good.

The scenery was rather pretty, he thought. Or it would have been, if he'd appreciated it. Instead, it did nothing useful. Rather, the other cats were hidden somewhere in it, and in the meantime, he was stuck with _her_.

Raising his head, he sniffed the air. He caught the scent of a bird, and he thought he smelled where Dapplepaw had been, but pretty much all he could smell was Dawnpaw. Slightly miffed, he buried his nose in grass, nearly snorting up a blade of green, and then tried again. Still, all he could smell was the FireClan she-cat.

Even though he knew it would achieve nothing, he glared at the golden she-cat's back.

Correction: it actually did make him feel better.

For about two seconds.

Yeah, this was most likely from trying to be kind last night. He wondered if she was having the same problem. Was that why she was yelling for the others instead of trying to find a scent trail?

"They're probably sleeping in the forest," he offered.

Without speaking, Dawnpaw altered her path for the timberland, her head held high in the air and golden paws moving forward purposely.

Mentally, Stormpaw groaned. It seemed that she was giving him the silent treatment he'd meant to do to her yesterday. And wasn't _he_ the one in IceClan, not her?

He shouldn't even care, anyway. But he was rather annoyed at the way their roles had switched.

But hey, that would mean that he was good at something that she wasn't very great at. Perhaps Mist would have climbing in mind for the next training session. He liked climbing, and was good at it too. Was Dawnpaw?

He could only hope.

* * *

><p>Rowanpaw yawned, stretched. Rolled over on his back, stretched some more, and nearly fell out of the tree.<p>

Snapping fully awake, he shot out his front paws and grabbed the thick bark, swinging himself back onto the branch. He let out a disgruntled sound and licked his chest fur in embarrassment, even if no one else had been awake to see it except for the birds and the squirrels—and perhaps Mist. But who knew for sure?

WaterClan cats were most definitely not built for trees. Flowerpaw and he had tried to get a space _beneath_ the oak last night, but after the rainstorm stopped, Mist had forced them all up into the canopy, saying that it would be good practice. From that, he had a hunch they would climb trees sometime soon.

Rowanpaw yawned, curling his lips back into a near-snarl, squeezing his eyes shut and enjoying the morning. He gave a quick shake, ruffling up the fur that had been mushed flat after lying on his side for so long on the hard wood. He stepped forward and immediately slipped, reaching frantically for purchase in a position that was, unfortunately, becoming familiar to him. Thank StarClan, he'd reacted quickly, and was able to snatch hold of the limb in time.

Part of his pelt was now soaked—he'd stepped into a hollow that was filled with rain from yesterday night's shower, and with him not paying attention, he'd lost his footing.

He became aware of a sound near him, and he looked up to find his sister snickering.

"Careful there, Rowanpaw," she meowed. "No one will catch you if you fall!"

"Glad to see you love me so much," he grumbled, and tried to climb up to the branch Flowerpaw was on, a quick, playful swipe to her nose in mind. However, he slipped again and just barely managed to fall back safely onto his branch, much less save the last shreds of his dignity slipping away.

Ears burning, he became aware of someone standing next to him.

"Come on, silly." Flowerpaw nudged him. "Let's go down to the ground where a fall won't be so dangerous." She grinned at him, and he grinned back.

They raced down the tree, a race that Rowanpaw lost. For one thing, he was not good at climbing trees. And that led to the second thing—neither was Flowerpaw, but she lacked the cautiousness that kept Rowanpaw from literally skidding down the tree trunk at top speed.

"I'm surprised that your tail isn't completely bald," Rowanpaw said when they stood at the bottom.

"Me, too, but I won!" The light brown apprentice pranced around.

"It was only because I had this little voice in my head called _caution_ that made me slow down!"

"Yeah, and it made you lose, too. I wonder what we're going to do today." Flowerpaw stopped her triumphant dancing and looked around. "I don't see Mist."

"Or Stormpaw, or Dawnpaw," Rowanpaw said, suddenly realizing that.

"Wonder what happened," Flowerpaw remarked, sitting down and beginning to groom one paw with quick strokes of her tongue.

"Eh, probably a whole bunch of fighting, but they'll be back soon," Rowanpaw said. He paused, thinking. "Is Dawnpaw your friend?"

Flowerpaw stopped grooming her paw, and then glanced up, surprised. "Uh, I think so," she said.

Rowanpaw sighed and sat down next to his sister, who was suddenly looking a lot less happy. "I wonder what life will be like afterwards," he said softly. "I think I'm becoming friends with Emberpaw, but it'll be strained when we get back." He almost said "if" in place of "when," but he quickly smoothed over his mistake. StarClan, what a pessimistic thought!

But it was a deserving one. He was still wary of Mist, with her two bi-colored eyes and strange knowledge of the Clans. Yet, he believed her. She couldn't be leading them into a trap; if Scar really was that powerful, the still-to-be-seen she-cat could have just taken all of her forces and overthrown the Clans.

What could just six apprentices do?

_Enough,_ he told himself. _We can do_ enough_, and that is enough of that. No more thinking like that, Rowanpaw._

"Rowanpaw?"

He looked up. "Oh, hi. Almost forgot you were there," he said to Flowerpaw.

"You liar! I'm very hard to forget," mewed his littermate, switching her tail vehemently.

"Don't put too much stock in yourself," Rowanpaw told Flowerpaw with a chuckle.

Flowerpaw made a disgruntled sound and looked as if she were about to cuff him on the head when two voices, familiar, arguing voices, stopped the siblings in their tracks.

"You are very,_ very_ annoying."

"That's funny, coming from you. You think you're so high and mighty, you mousebrained IceClan tom. Well, I've got news for you—"

"And you obviously believe you can tackle anything that comes your way, don't you? Fighting, swimming. One day you're going to face up against something that you won't be able to beat."

"Yeah, it's called death."

"I wasn't talking about that."

"Oh, you _talked_? Good job, little Stormpaw! Congratulations!"

A low growl. "You're quite kit-like, have you realized that?"

Immediately there was a thump, and a yowl of pain.

"_Exactly_!" the same voice shouted a moment later.

"We're only seven moons old," said the second cat matter-of-factly. There were no traces of guilt in the tone.

"And you're about as mature as a three-moon-old kit," grumbled the first voice.

Another thump.

"I hate you."

"Same to you."

Flowerpaw jumped to her paws as the voices became closer, louder, and even angrier. "Dawnpaw?" she shouted.

"Right here!" came the answer, and within a few seconds, Dawnpaw burst out of the undergrowth, a very furious-looking Stormpaw stalking after her. He was limping, and thrashing his tail like he wanted to strangle someone with it. Probably Dawnpaw, if you considered the conversation they'd had before appearing, thought Rowanpaw.

Rowanpaw came up to greet them as Flowerpaw asked, "Well, how was last night?" with a gleam in her eye. To his surprise, both apprentices immediately looked awkward, looking at the ground and anywhere except for each other.

Only a moment passed before Stormpaw tore his gaze from a bush and said in a snobbish tone, "Terrible. Horrible. And none of your business."

With that, the IceClan tom lifted his head and sauntered past Rowanpaw, practically giving him a shove with his shoulder. He rounded the tree and disappeared out of sight.

"Well_, someone_ got out of his nest on the wrong side," Rowanpaw murmured, twitching his whiskers.

"What was that all about?" said Flowerpaw.

Dawnpaw glared at the side of the tree. "Just Stormpaw being Stormpaw," she said, but her body language implied that there was something more than the dark-pelted apprentice being his usual prickly self.

Rowanpaw pushed away the confusion that was beginning to gather. He didn't care if there was something that had happened that Dawnpaw refused to remark on; it really was none of his business since not all three of them were friends. He watched Flowerpaw walk off with the golden-furred she-cat and rolled his eyes.

Now, where _was_ Mist? He was eager to get the training for the day started. He had to be prepared when they arrived at Scar's camp. How far away was it, really? He would have to remember to ask her that. The ginger-and-white tom began to walk around the tree, staring at the roots and looking up at the high branches to see if Mist was there. He spotted a stone-faced, sulking Stormpaw sitting atop one of the thick, twisty boughs.

Three-quarters around the tree, he saw Emberpaw dozing in the curl of a root. "Probably should wake him up," he said out loud. Rowanpaw went over to the dark brown tom and shook him gently.

"Don't…want…to…get up…," mumbled the FireClan apprentice.

"Come on," said Rowanpaw, fully aware that Emberpaw probably wasn't even listening. "I bet Mist will be back soon, and then she'll yell at you for not being awake on time."

"Don't...care…," came the answer.

Okay, so he was listening. But not caring.

"You'll probably have to wake up even earlier when we arrive at Scar's camp," Rowanpaw said bluntly. "You might as well get used to it."

Unfortunately, these words had the opposite effect Rowanpaw was going for.

"Even earlier?!" Emberpaw's face, complete with wide amber eyes, popped up. Foolishly Rowanpaw thought that this meant the other tom would get up, but almost immediately Emberpaw dove back into the comfort of the root, shoving himself even more into the tiny space, something that Rowanpaw wouldn't have believed possible. _Behold the threat of no sleep_, he thought.

"Even_ earlier_? That means I have to get as much sleep now," Emberpaw said, the words muffled.

Rowanpaw sighed. Dear StarClan, was this how queens were treated by kits? He was very, very glad that he was not a mothering she-cat. "Up NOW," he said, and promptly hauled the FireClan apprentice out of the natural crevice.

"Well, if you insist," Emberpaw growled. He stood before Rowanpaw, looking disheveled with his fur sticking up in every direction.

Rowanpaw felt afraid now. Had he been too harsh? There had been no kits in the nursery when Flowerpaw and he had been born. There had been no kits for eight moons until they'd come along. The current apprentices didn't feel like hanging out with kits—and just forget about the warriors. Therefore, he had had no other playmate other than Flowerpaw. And he always knew where he stood with her. He was inexperienced in this area.

Emberpaw grinned at him, and immediately his worries dispersed. Emberpaw wasn't mad at him! Good. "Well, I suppose you're right," the other tom said.

"No hard feelings, then?" asked Rowanpaw, just to make sure.

"I guess," said Emberpaw. "I am very forgiving. Even when I lose sleep."

Rowanpaw grinned. "Indeed," he said.

Just then, Mist strolled into sight.

"There she is," Rowanpaw muttered. She was carrying nothing, but the way she was licking her jaws made him think that she had very recently consumed at least one piece of fresh-kill. It was good that there were no worrisome apprentices in their group. With Mist randomly appearing and leaving all the time, a cat like that would drive them all crazy with his or her out-loud wonderings.

Emberpaw dashed up to Mist. "Can we go hunting, please?" he begged. "I'm starving!"

Mist's expression didn't change, but from the twitch of her whiskers, Rowanpaw gathered that she was amused. "You may," she said.

"Come on, Rowanpaw!" The dark brown tom practically bounced in place.

Rowanpaw shook his head, beginning to be amused, too, and followed the hungry FireClan tom into the undergrowth.

* * *

><p>Shortly after finding the other apprentices, Mist had appeared and ordered them to hunt. So, Dawnpaw was now in the trees with a certain IceClan tom. Wonderful. Simply<em> wonderful.<em>

She did not feel like pulling the "Let's see how far away I can get" trick she had before, and besides—he might call her immature again if she did so. The only good part about that was that she could interrogate him, and he couldn't leave until they'd both caught something, which Dawnpaw wasn't going to do until she'd questioned him as much as she could.

"I can't smell anything," Stormpaw was whining.

"Why not?" she said, curious.

He seemed to realize something as he opened his mouth to reply, but it was too late by the time he shut it. Dawnpaw was determined to find out what it was.

"What? What is it?"

"It doesn't matter. I think I'm catching the scent of a mouse now. Be quiet so I can follow it."

"You were about to say something."

"Shush!"

"Tell me."

"All right, fine!" He rounded on her, storm-colored fur puffed up. "I can't smell a single darn thing because your scent is clogging up my nose!"

She let a highly skeptical look paste itself onto her face. "And whose fault is that? Who jumped in the river even though he couldn't swim and had to be rescued? Who was so weak by the time he was pulled out that he had to be helped across several fox-lengths of land? Who was the one who moved during the night SO THAT—"

"That's insignificant! However, I. Still. Can't. Smell. Anything. But. YOU!" Stormpaw snapped, seeming to forget the truce they had established several sunrises ago. In his irritation he stabbed out his paws and clawed the ground. "I can't catch anything right now! So before you make the situation worst, will you shut—"

He suddenly broke off, staring down at the ground between his paws with a look of wonder.

Dawnpaw leaned close, widening her eyes as she took in the scene. Somehow, while having his mini tantrum in which he pounded his paws on the earth, he'd trapped two mice that had been stupid enough to come up to see what the ruckus was. Now, the unfortunate rodents were scurrying back and forth between the dark gray tom's paws, squeaking their heads off in alarm but seeming unable to find a way out.

Before Stormpaw could move—for if he tried to kill one, he'd be letting the other go—she reached out and slit both of the mice's throats with a well-placed claw.

"What was that about catching stuff?" she asked pointedly. She'd never liked it when Flamelight said something like "Now, what have I told you about grooming yourself?" or "Don't you know you're supposed to be sleeping?" because it was obvious that her mother already knew the answer—and not knowing the answer to a question was why you asked the question in the first place . But at the same time, she'd fully understood that it was rather satisfying. And it was satisfying now.

He resumed his frosty expression. "Hurry up and catch your prey."

Dawnpaw chuckled. "Oh, no. We are going to stay here until you answer all of my questions."

At this he looked surprised. "Excuse me?"

"I am going to interrogate you until I get everything I need," Dawnpaw stated.

He laughed brashly. "Listen, I'm not exactly sure what "everything you need" means, but I have a feeling I won't like it. Therefore, I refuse to answer any questions. And hurry up and catch your prey."

"Ah, but if I don't catch anything, we can't go back."

Stormpaw had begun to walk off. At this, he turned around and gave her an incredulous look. "_Immature_," he said in a sing-song voice.

"First question," said Dawnpaw, pointedly ignoring the insult. "Why were you so…taken back at the mention of last night's storm?"

"No comment."

"Oh, is that so?" Dawnpaw walked to place herself in front of him. "Is little Stormpaw afraid of storms?" She knew the words were harsh, but maybe that was the way to go. Cajoling wouldn't work; she wouldn't do that even if she thought it would.

"No."

"Then what was it?"

He'd turned his face away, but now he whipped back, hissing. Dawnpaw nearly skidded back. She felt phantom jaws close around her neck and fear shut her eyes for just one moment. She shook off the teeth that weren't there and stared at him steadily, hoping he hadn't seen that.

But it looked like Stormpaw had. He gazed back, his expression unsure and maybe just a bit…repentant?

_He should be,_ she thought crossly.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" he asked.

She was taken aback. When the surprise settled, frustration was there. _Now he's the one asking questions! _

"Because I'm curious," Dawnpaw said. "I—I know you. You always try to act like nothing can faze you. And then I mention a simple storm and you act like you saw a warrior of StarClan. Mixed with how close you were to me when I woke up…" She took a step forward, narrowing her green eyes. She could hear his breath hitch. "So, what's the matter?"

"I…." He looked as if he were going to confess something deep, but shook his head. "Okay fine, you got me. I am afraid of storms. Satisfied?"

That...that wasn't it. There was pensiveness in Stormpaw's icy blue eyes as he watched her think.

"I suppose," she said finally.

"Now, any more annoying questions?"

She had been planning to fire a lot more; they had hovered there like golden bees, ready to sting, but now they faded away. She was unsure now, of the answers she would receive. "Later."

Stormpaw flicked his ears derisively. "As you wish. Now, are you going to go catch something or what?" He jumped up into a tree, scattering a curious bird—_Drat, she could have caught that!—_and turned his back on her.

"I'm doing it," Dawnpaw growled. "Oh, and do what you did last night and I'll skin you alive."

The only answer was a lazy swinging of his tail.

Hissing profusely under her breath, she stalked off to find some poor unsuspecting vole. Things never turned out the way she wanted with him. Why had she thought any different? The thing was, she _had _thought differently this morning. Perhaps he had turned nicer. Perhaps he had even li—

What am I even thinking? Dawnpaw thought. Setting up a loud growl-who cared about immaturity?—he disappeared into the undergrowth.

Seeing that the golden she-cat was out of earshot, Stormpaw let out a relieved sigh and relaxed his muscles, hanging his head.

Afraid of rain. As if.

* * *

><p>So, how was it? I didn't think it was too good, honestly. I tried to make it good, sorry! D; Please tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review. ;3<p>

I have some questions for you to answer! Someone's fic I read does this, and I would like to try it out one time. So, here you go:

_1) How do you feel about their relationship?_

_2) Should I speed up the story?_

_3) What do you think will happen next?_

Bye for now! :D

~Ponyiowa


	29. Chapter 29: Curiosity Killed the Cat

**A/N: ...And there I went again. Sorry! :/ February was really a hectic month, with school projects everywhere. How was everyone's spring break? Good, I hope. I went horseback riding! :) I had writer's block during all that time, but I think I'm over it! I finally finished this chapter last night and here I am posting it the next day. It's a bit shorter than last chapter. I gathered that the plot is pretty okay but that I should speed it up a little bit, right? Okay, then. I'll keep that in mind. And I'm glad that all of you like Dawnpaw's and Stormpaw's relationship! :) It was cool reading your guesses about what would happen next, too. I hope you'll enjoy the chapter, and again, sorry.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 29: Curiosity Killed the Cat<span>

They were going to climb trees.

Stormpaw was extremely pleased at this. Climbing was something every IceClan cat could do, himself included. The large, jagged rocks that littered the IceClan territory were perfect for climbing. His mentor had made him go up on one of the most challenging ones when she was training him, and he didn't fear heights. So a tree, with nice, soft bark that you could sink your claws into—so very different than a steep, slick-surfaced boulder—was extremely easy.

This was such a change from the last training session that he felt himself becoming more pleased than he had been for the past four sunrises. Since that interrogation in the forest, Dawnpaw had been pestering at him for four days straight. But now she finally seemed to have given up. Stormpaw glanced around and saw her talking to Flowerpaw as usual; he must have looked too long, for she turned her head and shot him a glare. Nothing could ruin his good mood now, though, and he gave her a smirk back.

_See if I'll do anything to help you next time you're cold…. _No, no. He shoved his ears forward and stalked onward. Happy thoughts. _Happy_ thoughts, Stormpaw. We're going to have a climbing session! You can climb well. Yay!

Great StarClan, he sounded like the old Bluetail.

They hadn't done any training after the sunrise he'd woken up to find a golden she-cat ready to murder him. They'd simply been travelling, getting ever closer to Scar's camp. But after their meal for the morning, Mist had announced that they would practice climbing that day.

He had snuck a surreptitious glance toward Dawnpaw at this, but the golden she-cat seemed unperturbed. She had surprised him with her swimming skills. Could FireClan cats climb in addition to paddling? Mist made no comment about who could do this training session well and who couldn't.

Once Mist had completed her speech, it was only a matter of finding the right cluster of trees. And so they were currently padding after the gray-and-white she-cat like lost ducklings, waiting for her to find a place that she deemed suitable.

Stormpaw regarded their surroundings uneasily. In the past few minutes, the green grass had vanished and that hard, gray surface Twolegs seemed to enjoy walking on had appeared. It felt rather uncomfortable under his paws after a long period of treading on soft clumps of undergrowth and earth, but he didn't feel like complaining. When a Thunderpath appeared, he reconsidered his choice.

"Hey, you just stepped on my tail," Emberpaw said.

"Sorry." Stormpaw gave an embarrassed shake on his head and walked backward a couple paces. Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed that the rest of his group had stopped.

Mist was nodding at three trees.

"These should be good," she meowed. "Try one out, won't you, Dapplepaw?"

The spotted she-cat stepped forward hesitantly. She seemed as wary of the Twoleg things around them as Stormpaw was. Vibrant wild met cold Twoleg influence in this place. Five tail-lengths away, a ragged dandelion danced around with an invisible wind until the breeze moved on and the tiny little flower slumped down onto the hard ground. To the left of them, a silver monster sat on the aforementioned Thunderpath. Stormpaw stared at it for several seconds, but it didn't move. He concluded it to be dead.

Surely Mist did not mean for them to practice _here_?

"I don't think this is a very good place to train, Mist," Dapplepaw was saying.

"And why not?"

The IceClan she-cat looked around and then back at their guide. "It just…doesn't feel right."

Mist nodded abruptly and began walking again. "All right, then. We'll just find a different spot, then."

Relieved, Stormpaw followed, but it wasn't long before he noticed that the scarred she-cat was leading them even further into the place they'd wanted to avoid. Twoleg nests were sprouting up as they walked along, and monsters sat in wait. He even saw some running on the Thunderpath. He went past a cylindrical object and then stopped. It kind of smelled like it had food in it. Ignoring the odd look Dawnpaw gave him, he stood up on his hind legs and pushed off the lid. Cautiously, he reached a paw in….

…And immediately whipped it back out, nearly wrenching his shoulder. A small, furry animal with some sort of black mask across its eyes sprang out of the gray cylinder, chattering furiously. Its black-striped bushy tail swished back and forth like a pendulum, and Stormpaw watched it nervously, backing up all the while.

"Do you think it bites?"

Surprised, Stormpaw nearly jumped a tail-length in the air, then looked to the side and saw Emberpaw peering at the angry animal, which was still stationed on top of the cylindrical object like a warrior guarding their Clan's camp.

"Let's not find out," he growled. Ears flat, he continued moving slowly backward. Meanwhile, the FireClan tom, apparently more snowflake-brained than he appeared, went even closer to the strange creature.

"I'm going to poke it!" Emberpaw announced gleefully, in the same tone an innocent, little kit would use, and then, true to his word, reached forward. The gray-and-black animal promptly swiped at Emberpaw's paw. Obviously very irritated, it swished its banded tail and scolded the dark brown tom in sharp staccato tones.

Dear StarClan… Stormpaw definitely did _not_ like the way the furry creature was looking at them. "Emberpaw!" he hissed. "Come on, let's go!" He would much rather leave as soon as he could, but if the FireClan apprentice came back missing half his fur, he would no doubt get an earful from either Mist or Dawnpaw about why he hadn't tried harder to persuade Emberpaw from making friends with the animal.

"I think it understands us," Emberpaw said. The animal chattered at this.

Hmm, why not? They—all the cats—could understand each other. Dogs admittedly had a bit of sense in their heads, however brutish they might be. And birds chirped to each other when they saw an apprentice hunting, and then fled. So other animals could possibly have their own language that none of the Clans knew.

This wasn't the time and place for it, though. Stormpaw glanced around. Mist was gone. So were the other apprentices. Mouse dung!

"Yes, maybe you can meet up with it later and chat about what you have in common," Stormpaw snapped. "But we've got to catch up with the others right now."

Emberpaw nodded. "I suppose you're right." _I_ am_, snowflake-brain._ "Bye, strange creature!"

The only response was an angry chitter.

Stormpaw looked up just in time for an unfamiliar yellow fruit to smack him right in the face. "Aaargh!" He reared up onto his hind legs, flailing his forepaws and trying to shake the substance off. It was mushy and had a sickly sweet smell that made him think it was rotten. At last Stormpaw got ahold of the fruit and flung it to the ground, but not before he thought Emberpaw would die of laughing.

He glared at the masked creature. "What was that for—"

The animal held up a red spherical object and gave him a nasty look. Somehow Stormpaw didn't think it was a peace offering.

"Run," he said under his breath to Emberpaw. The other tom nodded and they raced off. A splatter sounded behind them, narrowly missing Stormpaw's tail. Stormpaw risked looking back and saw that the odd little creature had jumped down onto the hard, pebbly ground. For a moment he thought that the creature would give chase, but with one more hiss, the furry masked animal disappeared into the shadows, its bushy banded tail swishing and disappearing after it.

Stormpaw slowed down with a deep sigh, motioning to Emberpaw that they could stop running now.

_Ugh_. What had he ever done to deserve this? Well, at least he'd found out what was in the cylindrical object.

Ten minutes and many dead ends later, they caught up with the rest of the group. Mist seemed to have not noticed his absence, for which Stormpaw was grateful. He was not in favor of explaining that they'd gotten held up by a small furry creature that threw disgusting things at them.

"Why are we going even further into this Twolegplace?" Stormpaw whispered to Rowanpaw.

The WaterClan apprentice shrugged. "Maybe there's some really cool trees she wants us to climb there," he said, flicking his bicolored tail, "but—what is that yellow stuff on your head?"

_Seriously?_ Stormpaw reached up gingerly with one paw and sure enough, there was some of that nasty substance on top of his head. He repeatedly swiped the paw onto the ground as they walked until it was all gone, leaving behind a faint trail of yellow smears. "Thanks for telling me, Rowanpaw," he said. What if Dawnpaw had saw him with a clump of it still on his head? Then he got irritated at the very thought. He didn't care what she thought. Nope, not at all.

Even so, he felt himself searching for her—just in case she had indeed seen. When he finally spotted her, a jolt of surprise ran through his chest; she had turned and they had locked eyes.

Stormpaw fought the urge to turn his head to the side. That would signify that simple eye contact meant something much more to him, and he wouldn't want her to get that idea.

_Like the kind of idea she must have gotten when she woke up next to you?_ a voice taunted.

He ignored it, confused as to why Dawnpaw was smirking at him. All was clear when she reached up a paw and, making exaggerated disgusted expressions all the while, pretended to swipe at her head. Not amused in the least, Stormpaw narrowed his eyes at her and drew his lips back in a silent hiss. She merely grinned and turned her attention back to Flowerpaw, who was watching the whole exchange with much entertainment.

Well at least she hadn't yelled it out loud, and the encounter with the gray-and-black masked creature was still secret. But no, he never had such good luck. As Stormpaw watched, unable to tear his eyes away just yet, he saw Emberpaw trotting up to them. Within a few seconds, pieces of their conversation drifted toward him, with bouts of laughter that got louder every time. He caught the words "Stormpaw, ran, fruit, strange furry creature," and "stupid."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were talking about.

Stormpaw noticed that Rowanpaw was still padding patiently next to him and realized how odd he must have looked, staring in Dawnpaw's direction. He coughed quietly, warmth spreading over his ears. He didn't feel much like talking now, and he excused himself by telling the ginger-and-white apprentice that he wished to speak to Mist.

"Why are we going so deep into Twolegplace?" he asked.

"Good trees there," was the reply.

Stormpaw twitched his whiskers in irritation. Good trees. Hmm.

"When will we get there?"

"Soon."

Ah, another equally cryptic answer. He couldn't help wonder if the fate of the Clans was safe in the paws of this mysterious she-cat. So far she'd been nothing but suspicious, what with her strange knowledge of the Clans and usual refusal to give them good answers. Could six apprentices really be all that was needed to stop Scar? Six was a large number. Larger than two, yes. And one, and three, and four. And you couldn't forget five. But it would be no good if they weren't prepared. Or if Scar threw them out right away, or killed them.

Stormpaw stared down at his paws. They moved steadily, following Mist without question. They walked after her without much complaint, the claws out and clicking on the unfamiliar surface—just in case. Were these paws capable of saving the Clans?

He sneaked a look at their guide. She traveled without hesitation, one foot in front of the other. Both her head and her tail were held high. The gray-and-white fur was impeccably groomed, and although he couldn't see them from this angle, Stormpaw knew that Mist would be staring straight ahead with those bicolored eyes.

And who could forget her scar?

Funny thing, they were going to _Scar_'s camp. A cat with a name like that must surely have a scar also. Mist had not given the apprentices, much less the Clans, an extensive explanation about how Scar ran his or her camp, and in his mind the cats under Scar's reign were hulking and scary, slinking in the shadows. They were experienced in battle and sneaky, clever, and devious. So, they must surely have scars too. Therefore, being named after a rift through your fur must mean that said rift was very important.

And he doubted Scar had gotten such a defining wound in the first few moons of her life. He or she must have had some other name before the scar had happened. He amused himself with his thoughts and random hypotheses for several minutes, as it looked like they weren't going to get to their destination any time soon.

And then it hit him.

_Was Mist Scar?_

His mind pounced on the question immediately, squashing it down with a "That is ridiculous" and a "Wow, we're in big trouble if that's true." He knew it wasn't likely. If Mist was Scar, she could have just killed them already. They were six young apprentices, nothing significant in the whole, grand scheme of life. (Even though he did consider himself pretty important.) There could be other reasons she hadn't yet, though. Stormpaw refused to rule anything out. He knew Mist could lie or give a confusing reply. But he had to ask.

Gathering all his courage, he caught up to her and said:

"Are you Scar?"

For the first time since he'd met her, the gray-and-white she-cat appeared honestly, truly surprised. Her fur fluffed up, perhaps on accident or on purpose covering the nasty gash on her side. And her green eye and her blue eye both opened wide.

"What makes you think that?"

"For starters, you've been nothing but mysterious the entire way through," he started, "which may just be your personality or an unsuccessful attempt to keep us out of the loop, since that's why I'm questioning you right now. Second, you have a strange abundance of Clan terminology and knowledge for when you've never even been in the Clans, unless you've been stalking us or something like that. And third, the cat is named Scar, and you have a very big scar on your side."

"Well, someone's a little inquisitive," Mist meowed in amusement, her surprise completely gone in a matter of seconds.

Stormpaw had to admire her. Strong enough or lucky enough to come out of a fight with such a scar, able to mask most of her emotions, and perhaps smart enough to hoodwink three entire Clans. Here was a cat that IceClan would have plenty of use for, a cat that he wanted to be like.

"That's not an answer."

She chuckled softly. "And persistent, too. Very well. I shall tell you." Looking around furtively and then leaning in closer, she whispered in a quiet voice: "I am not Scar."

Stormpaw, who had tilted his head toward her in order to catch her words better, jerked back. He felt as if he'd been slapped across the face by a fish. If she wasn't lying, he'd just accused their guide of being a cat who was, supposedly, going to take over the Clans.

"Do you believe me?"

"Well, I don't have any evidence that would prove or disprove your claim. So not quite," Stormpaw admitted. "But you seem trustworthy."

Mist seemed pleased with his answer. "That is one thing I am," she said, and she said it with such firmness that Stormpaw believed it. "I am your guide, and I will not lead you into a trap. As for what might happen at Scar's camp, though, is not completely under my control."

_Not_ completely_ under my control._ Whether she meant to or not, Mist had given him a clue. She must have some position of importance in Scar's camp, Stormpaw theorized. Maybe she had risen to that position to make herself safe in a place that sounded bloodthirsty and then realized she could do something else besides keep her own pelt from harm.

But he wasn't going to voice his new thoughts. Perhaps after a few more days of mulling them over, but he wasn't going to dip his paw so quickly back into the fire.

Stormpaw realized that Mist was waiting for an answer.

"Okay," he said. "Thank you." And he truly was.

The gray-and-white she-cat flicked an ear. "Only doing what I should be," she said.

Stormpaw nodded, then, with a respectful bow of the head, dismissed himself to the back of the line. Rowanpaw gazed at him curiously for a few moments. He must have watched Stormpaw and Mist talk. Something in his body language told the WaterClan tom not to bother him for now, and so the two toms padded silently side by side.

Stormpaw tilted his head back as they walked, gazing up at the sky. _StarClan,_ he prayed, _surely you would let us know if something was fallacious about this?_


	30. Chapter 30: It's Called Common Sense

**A/N: I am so, so sorry! DX I had the chapter plot all laid out, but then I ran into a problem: What would I name Scar's cats? (Yes, some of them appear in this chapter! Excited?) I want to differentiate this story from**_**Phoenix**_**, so I thought it would be good if the bad groups of cats were named differently. The group of cats in**_**Phoenix**_**will be named normal rogue, kittypet, and loner names. However, after much debate and PMing of friends who were nice enough to give me their opinion on this most important manner, I decided that Scar's cats would be named rogue/loner/kittypet names and rogue/loner/kittypet-warrior names. While I was deciding this, I wrote all of next chapter and one-seventh of the one after that. So, you'll be getting an update very soon! :) In addition, I'll be out of school on June 6th. Therefore, I have more time to write and go on FFN. :DDD**

_Replies to anonymous reviews:_

**wildstar:** _Sorry, I deleted it for a few hours. Hopefully you read it when it was put up again! :) Turns out I didn't post the next chapter soon. Enjoy this one, though!_

**Guest:** _All right, I'll try. And next time, could you please call yourself other than Guest? It gets confusing if there are other users named Guest, and there probably_ _will be, so I'd like each of you to call yourself something different so it's less confusing. ;)_

**Guest:** _Okay! :) And I dunno if you're the same person from above, but please call yourself a name different than Guest, too._

**Lenaroony:** _Yep, I'm still alive! XD Sorry, I can't churn out 4000 word chapters every time. I try to make my chapters at least 2500 words each time, and Chapter 30 was 2909 words, so I'd say that was pretty good. Most authors I see write only around 1000 words a chapter, and one of my friends complains that I write too much. XP Don't worry, there will be more StormXDawn as the story goes on. ;)_

_Emberpaw's your favorite? Good to know! And I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I can't tell you. This is the internet, after all. P;_

**Fuzzy:** _I'm glad you liked it! What do you mean by "Please make a Second fan fiction 'Book'"? I have two other fanfictions beside this. If you mean, please make a sequel: I'm actually planning to do that! And thanks for pointing the mistake out. It's not rude at all; it's not like you laughed and acted mean about it. :3 _

_Well, it looks to be a fanfiction, so it can't have copyright unless you're Erin Hunter. :P Hmm. Some of the names are questionable and you have to work on your grammar, but it's interesting. I can tell that you tried on it. Don't call it "lame"—if people see that the very author thinks it's lame, then they will most likely think it's lame or have a lower opinion of it. Be realistic, but not pessimistic. ;D If you want to continue sending me parts of your story to look at, I suggest you make a FFN account so that we can PM each other. Reviews are for reviewing the story and telling me what you thought, not submitting work, and it would be easier to communicate via PM, since author's notes are supposed to be short. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you like this chapter! :)_

**SMIlE:** _Thanks! I will. _

**IamSkydaughterof:** _Lol. XD Yeah, it does sound wrong. I think I might have her find out…but I won't tell you when. Yes, that is good! Mist's answer was meant to be confusing! :D /ha I'm such an evil author_

**Jay:** _Before, I was going to say "Please come back to WillowClan," but judging from June 1st's events, I doubt you'll even bother to answer that. _

_Mmm. Okay. I suppose you mean the characters that are bleh are the minor ones. I can't really do anything there; they're minor and won't appear often. Yes, Rowanpaw is very awesome. /D_

_Lol. An anonymous reviewer told me that last chapter was kind of short. Well, I must agree that my chapters are on average longer than a lot of other _Warriors_ author's chapters. And I'm kind of proud of that. True, sometimes I feel I write too much, but if I don't write at least certain amount, it feels like I'm not putting all I can into the chapter. _

_Well, yes. They are mainly alternating from Dawnpaw's and Stormpaw's perspectives because they are the main characters. I agree with the escapades part; I'll try to fix that. _

_It's not a new Clan. (Well, not yet. ;P) And they're not discovering it—they're infiltrating a camp. Where do you see that? I agree; a lot of _Warriors_ fanfics have the overdone "creating or discovering a new Clan." However, I didn't modify that at all, like you said. They _are _meeting a new group of cats, but it's not a Clan and they didn't discover it, and I've never seen any fanfic have the main characters infiltrating the second group. There _will_ be plot twists soon._

_I think at least some of it helps. :) I never thought it was a flame, just to let you know. Thanks for the feedback on my story. I appreciate that you took the time to tell those thoughts to me._

**Tigerfrost:** _Lol, I know right? XD_

* * *

><p>Chapter 30: It's Called Common Sense<p>

"I think this is a good spot," Mist said finally. "What do you apprentices think?"

Dawnpaw halted and looked around. They were in a fairly open space, with Twoleg nests a tree-lengths away and few monsters to be seen. It seemed to be some sort of play-space, with one object that had rungs connected to a bright yellow slate sloping down to the ground. There was a structure that simply had rungs all the way across; another one had pelts connected to a kind of sinew that was wrapped around several blue sticks.

Twolegs were weird.

Several trees were scattered throughout the area. A few even had squirrels in them. Somewhere a bird was chirping, and tiny white flowers were sprinkled in the overgrown green grass. It kind of reminded her of her Clan, actually. And while it was closer to Twoleg inventions than she'd like, it was better than the other options.

Dawnpaw said, "It's okay." The other apprentices' opinions varied from agreeing to indifference.

Mist took it all in stride and said brightly, "I assume you all know how to climb"—she paused, and when no one said they didn't, she continued—"so I'm not going to give any lessons. Simply go!"

Emberpaw burst forward like his tail was on fire. Dawnpaw stifled a laugh and continued after him, deciding to scale the same tree he did. She was one-fifth up the birch Emberpaw had chosen when she heard fighting nearby.

"This is _my _tree!"

"Not anymore it isn't." Stormpaw stood patiently at the base of a great oak a couple tail-lengths away, looking up into the face of a hissing Flowerpaw. His posture and expression were casual, like he knew the WaterClan apprentice was only being silly and would see his logic very soon.

"Since when?"

"Since now."

Flowerpaw sighed. "Fine, you can climb here too. Please wait a few seconds for me to make it up the tree."

"I'm afraid that won't work," the dark gray tom said calmly.

Flowerpaw's fur, which had just flattened down, now puffed again at another possible conflict. "Why not?"

"I do not wish to have your brown tail waving annoyingly in my face the entire time. I will go first."

"Yeah? Well, I'm afraid that won't work." Flowerpaw dug her claws deeper into the tree and growled in Stormpaw's face. He didn't flinch.

Neither did he say, "Why not?"

After a few uncomfortable seconds, Flowerpaw said, "What if I don't like having _your _tail waving annoyingly in my face?"

Stormpaw shrugged. "Then too bad." He added, ice-blue eyes gleaming, "Besides, I'll be so fast climbing you won't have that problem."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes, yeah."

"Then it's _on_." Flowerpaw turned her eyes from Stormpaw to the top of the tree and began making her way upward.

The dark gray tom blinked for a second like he couldn't believe Flowerpaw had the nerve to do something he didn't expect, then clenched his muscles and sprang onto the oak. Pretty soon he had caught up with the quickly climbing she-cat.

Dawnpaw hoped Flowerpaw would win. She figured she could simply hang onto her tree and watch them go, but Mist yelled, "Dawnpaw! Please actually do some climbing!"

Ears burning, Dawnpaw resumed climbing. _Mousebrain._ She went up the birch as quickly as she could, hoping to impress Mist with her skill. But she wasn't as good as climbing as she was with swimming, and common sense made her rethink where exactly she was putting her paws and constantly reminded her that she was virtually scrabbling up a giant, overgrown stick that would put her many tail-lengths above the ground.

She eventually reached the top of the birch and joined Emberpaw, who was moving along the upper branches like an overexcited squirrel. She had to stifle a chuckle: she enjoyed the view, but not as much as he seemed to.

It was indeed quite a view. From this height, Dawnpaw could see the tops of other trees, the branches shaking in the early greenleaf breeze. Dapplepaw was off by herself in one faraway tree. There were inactive monsters and squatting Twoleg nests, strange and alien. There were sharp gray angles and little sprouts of nature and fighting cats and unfamiliar land. Wait, what? She swung her gaze back and spotted Stormpaw and Flowerpaw on top of a tree. Rowanpaw had joined them. The wind had picked up and she could just barely hear their dialogue.

"It is quite obvious that I won," Stormpaw was saying in that lofty way of his.

Flowerpaw snickered. "You wish!" she said, digging her claws in the bark. "I beat you."

Dawnpaw pricked up her ears at this. Good Flowerpaw!

"Actually, you beat me at scrambling up the tree like an overgrown squirrel," Stormpaw replied. "But if we're talking about being the first one to reach the top, which I believe we are, then I won."

"I was watching, and I must say that Flowerpaw definitely beat you," Rowanpaw offered from his position below the two other cats.

Stormpaw looked surprised, like he'd forgotten the other tom was there, then crouched to stare down at Rowanpaw. "You're only saying that because she's your sister."

"On the _contrary_. If she's wrong, I'm probably not going to support her. In addition, what if I get into a fight with her _myself_? I'm certainly not going to be on her side, just because she's my one and only littermate and sister; that would be_ ridiculous_. In fact, I believe that—"

Flowerpaw sighed and swept her tail down to cover Rowanpaw's mouth, who was only just starting to get into the lecture. His miffed expression, from what Dawnpaw could see that wasn't covered by Flowerpaw's tail, said that he wasn't pleased.

"You know what?" the light brown she-cat said, her tone exasperated. "How about we just call it a tie?"

Stormpaw stiffened, his posture suggesting he hadn't expected that in a million moons. "A tie. Well." He hesitated then quickly said, "All right."

Dawnpaw snickered. Oh, poor little Stormpaw. She wondered if he had ever had to settle for a tie before. He hadn't interacted with other Clan cats much before, as none of the apprentices had (excepting Dawnpaw and Stormpaw meeting as kits, an event that Dawnpaw rather wished had not happened). So most of his interactions would be with IceClan cats. And she couldn't really guess as to how those would turn out as she didn't know too well any of the cats in his Clan. She knew for one thing, though: They would come out of the argument well and royally irritated.

She turned and swept her gaze over the land again, like it had changed majorly in those few minutes she'd watched Flowerpaw, Rowanpaw, and Stormpaw argue. It was mostly the same, except for—who were _they_?

Three cats were making their way across the Twolegplace. They seemed to be moving toward the apprentices, although Dawnpaw doubted they wanted to climb trees, too. All three of them looked dangerous and out for blood. There was a black cat, a tortoiseshell, and a slender white cat with dark ears and legs. Dawnpaw saw that the black cat was a tom and the tortoiseshell and the white one were she-cats. The white one appeared to be giving orders to the others; the black tom seemed to be ignoring her and the tortoiseshell was clearly bored. When the white she-cat snarled and gave her comrades a lash each on the ear, they paid more attention.

They came closer and there was no denying it. These ferocious-looking cats were definitely headed for the trees.

"Emberpaw!" Dawnpaw found herself calling his name in a hushed whisper even though there was no way the newcomers could hear her from that distance.

His dark brown head appeared from amid the leaves above. "Yes?"

"There are cats coming this way." Dawnpaw found she was still speaking at the same level of sound and shook herself, feeling annoyed. She cleared her throat and spoke again, but louder. "Three cats, and I don't think they're going to be nice."

Emberpaw landed on the branch next to her with a flurry of leaves. "Should we warn the others? Where's Mist?"

"You shout at the others; I'll look for Mist."

The FireClan tom nodded and began yowling the other apprentices' names as loud as he could. When he got their attention, he jabbed a paw downward at the approaching strangers.

Meanwhile, Dawnpaw couldn't see Mist anywhere. She hopped up onto Emberpaw's previous spot but the new height didn't help at all. Where had the gray-and-white she-cat gone? It didn't take that long to climb a tree, after all. What, had Mist just thought it would take them a thousand moons and that she could go and have a nap in the intervening time? Perhaps she was making too much of a fuss out of three cats she didn't like the look of, but it would be nice in any case to have their mysterious guide _actually by their side_.

"Mist!" she shouted, in the event the scarred she-cat was rummaging under a bush or something and that was why Dawnpaw couldn't see her at the moment.

Maybe she _was _sleeping? Dawnpaw yelled louder.

"MIST!"

But no one came. No one except for those unfamiliar cats, two of which now had sneers on their faces.

Dawnpaw tried one more time.

"_MIST_!"

And then the newcomers were at the base of Emberpaw's and Dawnpaw's tree.

"Hello, little kit," the tortoiseshell purred. "Looking for your mommy?"

Giving up on Mist coming anytime soon, Dawnpaw focused her full attention on the three new cats. Her reply was full of annoyance.

"No, I'm not. I wasn't looking for you either, so I suggest you go away."

She probably shouldn't have said that—the tortoiseshell flattened her ears and the black cat hissed, but the white one remained calm.

"What are you doing in these trees?" the white cat said, her gaze flickering from apprentice-covered tree to apprentice-covered tree.

This time Dawnpaw remained silent, waiting for the others to speak. A few quiet seconds passed before she realized that they weren't going to. All three newcomers were looking up at her, waiting for her to answer. By replying first, Dawnpaw had unofficially become the spokesperson for the apprentices. And that wasn't such a good thing to be.

She whipped her head around to look at Emberpaw, but he was examining his paws with great interest, watching the strangers nervously out of the corner of his eye. When he saw her looking at him, he flattened his ears and looked apologetic but refused to speak.

Perhaps Flowerpaw or Rowanpaw were merely taking their time to think of a reply! It was a simple question, after all. But she dared not lift her eyes to their tree for two reasons—one, everyone would see her looking around like a shocked, helpless little kit and two, what if they were simply refusing to speak, too?

Tell the truth—whether in the conventional way or a twisted version of it—lie, or be sarcastic? That was the question. Dawnpaw clenched her teeth, and then opened her mouth to answer.

But the sound of someone else replying stopped her dead.

"I'm afraid that's none of your business."

Stormpaw stepped forward on his branch, coming closer to the three cats on the ground. His body language conveyed nothing about how he felt—except for his ice-blue eyes, narrowed and flashing with irritation.

_Well,_ Dawnpaw thought.

The black tom chuckled softly. "What's wrong, duckie? Got something you have to hide? You're only climbing trees, after all."

This time Dawnpaw had an answer on the tip of her tongue. _Duckie._ Using belittling names were fine, but only when _she_ used them. She was flattening her ears at the cats and getting ready to yell at them when Stormpaw caught her eye and shook his head slightly. Surprised, Dawnpaw dropped the aggressive body language and the dark gray tom responded in her place.

"All right, then," he meowed coolly. "You just said yourself that we were only climbing trees. Don't you have something else to do? Or does your entire life consist of attempting to bully apprentices?"

Dawnpaw was silently chuckling over his retort when she suddenly realized something. Apprentices. He'd said apprentices. That was information about them that Stormpaw probably shouldn't have said. Judging from his pained expression that he quickly tried to cover, he realized it too—too late.

"Let me at him!" snarled the black tom, losing his temper. Dawnpaw would have laughed if she hadn't been so worried. The black tom had obviously been trying to channel the leader of the group and now that his cool was gone, it was even more pathetic.

"Calm down, Sinnohroar," the white she-cat said, laying a tail on his shoulders. The black tom did so, although not without trouble.

Sinnohroar. What a weird name. It was built like a Clan name, except Dawnpaw couldn't tell what the first part was supposed to be. A plant, maybe?

"Now, now," said the white she-cat, and her gaze was triumphant. "Apprentices, are you? How lovely." Stormpaw's slip hadn't gone by her as easily as it did the black tom. "In fact, I think I remember something about apprentices that Scar told me." Scar! Dawnpaw fought to keep her expression calm. "Quiltpelt, do you remember?"

Again, something else she didn't recognize. "Quilt" was like "Quail," so perhaps it was a bird.

Quiltpelt stepped forward. "Indeed I do, Mishaclaw. Weren't we told that that we needed to get new recruits from the Clans?"

Mishaclaw smiled. "And it seems that we have."

"Leave us alone," Emberpaw said. He was speaking for the first time and Dawnpaw was pleased until he added, "Mist will be here anytime soon."

Dear StarClan, they would _never_ get in Scar's camp! Not if everyone kept on dropping bits of information, anyway.

But it seemed that this time, it served to benefit the apprentices.

Quiltpelt looked nervous and took a few steps back uncertainly and even Mishaclaw seemed surprised.

"Mist?" she hissed. "The traitor, you mean?"

"What do _you _mean?" Dawnpaw asked pointedly before any other apprentice could respond.

"Mist betrayed us by leaving without permission two moons ago," Mishaclaw said. "She vanished without a trace into the night. Quite odd. And now it appears that she has taken on a group of apprentices for no apparent reason. No matter, though." Mishaclaw bared her teeth. "We shall find out soon. You'll be coming with us."

"Over my dead body," Dawnpaw said. It had sounded good in her head but now she realized how it could be taken. "F-figuratively," she added, her voice faltering. She wanted to flee but forced herself to remain still.

Where was Mist?

Mishaclaw smirked. "All right, then. You'll have it your way—by force." She crooked her tail and the other adult cats instantly readied.

Dawnpaw looked around, assessing the situation. Their number was double the other cats', but they had far less experience and fighting skills. They also had the advantage—for now—as they could leap down onto Mishaclaw, Quiltpelt, and Sinnohroar from their greater height. Also, if Mist ever decided to get off her butt and come help from wherever she was, they would have one more on their side. But the apprentices would have to move right now if they wanted to use the height advantage; already Sinnohroar was putting a paw on Stormpaw's tree, and once the adults got up into the trees the apprentices' height advantage would be gone.

Unless the apprentices stayed and fought the other cats as they came up the tree…

"Flee or fight?" she asked Emberpaw quietly.

"Fight," he answered.

Dawnpaw whipped her head around and shouted, "Hey furbrain!" Although the adult cats felt like they were going to win and therefore gave up their names willingly, she couldn't say the same for the apprentices.

As she knew he would, Stormpaw's head snapped up and he gave her a piercing glare. Then he noticed that she was trying to ask him something.

"Flee or fight?" she mouthed.

"Fight," he said. She watched Stormpaw relay it to the other apprentices, who agreed to fight and then asked Dapplepaw in the next tree. The vote was unanimous. They would fight.

It was kind of strange working with Stormpaw but Dawnpaw wasn't really that surprised. Didn't the saying go "The enemy of my enemy is my friend"?

Then there was a yowl of fear. Without anyone noticing, Quiltpelt had raced halfway up Dapplepaw's tree and was advancing on the scared apprentice. Dapplepaw had retreated to one of the very upper branches but would have to move down or to another tree if the tortoiseshell progressed farther.

Dawnpaw tensed. She couldn't just leave Dapplepaw on her own, but if she went to help, she would be leaving Emberpaw to fight by himself. She saw a flash of brown and realized that Flowerpaw was heading to Dapplepaw's tree. The WaterClan apprentice had her teeth in Quiltpelt's ear before the tortoiseshell could move.

That problem solved, Dawnpaw turned her attention back to the other cats. Sinnohroar and Mishaclaw saw what had happened to their comrade and now seemed less arrogant. Sinnohroar hesitated before leaping onto Dawnpaw's tree.

"He's coming," Dawnpaw hissed. "Get ready."

Emberpaw nodded and did so, baring his fangs and crouching. Dawnpaw felt herself do the same. A whole moon of training information flooded her head and she took a deep breath. She would do the best she could.

The top of Sinnohroar's head appeared and Dawnpaw sprang forward. She lashed the space between his ears with sharp claws but he held her foreleg in her teeth and dragged her off the tree, hurling her toward the ground. Instantly Dawnpaw lashed out, catching hold of Sinnohroar and bringing him down with her.

They hit the ground with a hard thump, landing in a mass of fur and limbs, and Dawnpaw was still trying to breathe when the black tom scratched her flank. She snarled and reared up, slamming her paws into his chest when she came down. He hissed and scrambled off the ground, retreating slightly before he charged.

Dawnpaw dodged to the side but not far enough; the tom nicked her as he came by. As soon as his front claws had passed she whipped around and sprang on his back. Sinnohroar let out a surprised yowl at the sudden weight, clinging on with scimitar claws.

Dawnpaw grinned. _Thank you for teaching me that, Honeyleaf._

Her triumph hardly lasted a moment before the tom rolled onto his back. Dawnpaw was barely able to get out of the way. Still, her right forepaw got trapped.

"What do you_ eat_?" she hissed in annoyance, trying to free her paw. Sinnohroar was slightly bigger than her but seemed to weigh far more than he should. Muscle mass, maybe.

The tom laughed before realizing that they were practically at a standstill. Dawnpaw could still tear at him with her free forepaw and teeth, but she would have to have control of all four legs to do more advanced moves. The tom couldn't hurt her in his current position, and his weight was the only thing keeping Dawnpaw on the ground but at least he wasn't trapped. If he wanted to attack Dawnpaw, though, he would have to do it before she realized that her paw was free.

Dawnpaw figured this out a second before he did and shot out of the way just in time. She then whirled up on her hind legs, pausing for a split second to decide her next move, and pounced on him again. Good old smashing-the-opponent-to-the-ground would have to do.

He hit the ground with a satisfying thud. Dawnpaw had the better position. She raked her claws through the fur on his neck, drawing blood, and had one foreleg curled around his neck. If she adjusted her position just a little bit more she could turn her claws to his throat and slice it wide open.

The thought gave her pause. Slice it wide open? Really? She wasn't a killer. She was barely an apprentice.

In fact, it was quite suspicious that it had been so easy to take him down.

A second later, Sinnohroar launched himself upward, Dawnpaw sliding off to the ground. She stumbled away, eyes wide. Drool dripped from his fangs and the tom grinned.

"Had you fooled there, didn't I?"

Dawnpaw twitched her whiskers derisively. "A stupid plan with many holes in it. I could have killed you if I wanted to."

"Wanted to? Oh sweetie, you wouldn't have dared." Sinnohroar advanced on her.

"Underestimate me if you want, but we apprentices aren't harmless. There's one I know who came close to tearing out the throat of a cat his own age. In fact, I think the one I'm speaking of is right…there." She turned her head slightly for dramatics, putting one eye on her opponent and the other on where Stormpaw should be.

Except he_ wasn't_ there. He should have been defending his oak—he would have had enough time to watch Dawnpaw get thrown off her own tree and surely wouldn't have made that same mistake—but he wasn't there. She frowned, looking away for too long, and Sinnohroar took the chance to leap.

Dawnpaw turned her head a moment later, her instincts already forcing her legs backward before her brain could fully process the black mass of fur coming toward her. She reared up, claws ready, teeth bared, to slash the tom when he came down—and then he did, with an "Oomph" as he was squished. He hit the ground so quickly it made no sense until she saw the cat sitting triumphantly on Sinnohroar's back with a familiar smirk.

"You were wrong," Stormpaw meowed smoothly. "I was _here_."

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><p>I hope it wasn't too much work for you guys to scroll past the author's note! XP Between me explaining what happened and the anonymous reviewer replies—a few of you anonymous guys wrote longer-than-usual reviews that caused me to write longer-than-usual replies—it was a longer-than-usual author's note!<p>

_1) How was the chapter?_

_2) What do you think is going to happen next?_

_3) What are your thoughts on Scar's cats' names?_

_4) This has to do with my FFN forum, WillowClan. You may have heard of it, but I know there are some reviewers who don't know of it or go on it. It's super-fun and you meet lots of new people there! I don't usually advertise my own stuff, but I would like you guys to check it out and join. :) We lost a lot of posts on June 1, 2013, and it would be nice if there were more people to help raise the post count up and talk with, as it would be even if we hadn't lost that many posts. We just started a reviewing contest yesterday, so come and join!_

See you really soon (remember, I've already got the next chapter typed up)! :D

~Ponyiowa


	31. Chapter 31: To Get the Upper Paw

**A/N: Hello, readers! How is everyone doing? I got out of June 6th and am pretty happy. I have more time to go on FFN and write! Are you all out of school now? I know some FFN friends whose schools let out June 18th. It seems that I made the right decision with Scar's cat's names. :D There weren't many reviews last chapter, but I guess I deserved that for not updating so long.  
><strong>

_Replies to anonymous reviews:_

**Lenaroony:** _Don't worry, I'll never abandon any of my stories! Even if I don't update for a year, I'll still finish it. I hate it when authors don't finish their stories, or just leave the fic without telling their readers._

**Viper332: **_Yeah, I'm trying to make his personality like that. He is, after all, an IceClan cat. :P_

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><p><span>Chapter 31: To Get the Upper Paw<span>

"I could have taken him!" Dawnpaw glared at Stormpaw. He was annoyed but not surprised. Her reaction had been an expected one. If she had responded with groveling and thankfulness, then he would have been duly shocked. Sinnohroar made a dazed growl and tried to sit up, but Dawnpaw forced him back down with her claws on his head.

"Always so grateful," Stormpaw said. "You're welcome."

Dawnpaw rolled her eyes. "No thank you." She told Sinnohroar to get up and to Stormpaw's surprise, he did. Then she informed him that she was going to the bottom of that tree with the dark brown tom in it—she was describing Emberpaw since Sinnohroar didn't know his name and didn't need to—and that Sinnohroar had better come with.

Stormpaw watched with faint surprise as the golden-furred she-cat began herding Sinnohroar back to the rest of the cats. Apparently Dawnpaw had made a deeper impression on the black tom than he'd thought. Sinnohroar tried to break away from the FireClan apprentice halfway to Emberpaw's tree, but Dawnpaw bared her teeth and he settled back in place. Stormpaw had only seen the last part of their fight, and then he'd joined in. He had to admit, she'd done a pretty good job. Nearly as good as Stormpaw him—that was enough silent praise of her for the next moon, he decided. Shaking his head, he padded after the two.

He was thinking of taking on Mishaclaw next when Dawnpaw whirled around and meowed, "You."

"What?"

"You are to guard Sinnohroar."

"Excuse me? You're not my leader. I wouldn't even say you're equal to me. So no, you can do that job yourself."

"I told you to do it first."

"And I told you to do it second."

Sinnohroar watched the two apprentices argue with interest; he pricked up his ears and his muscles tensed like he was going to run away while they were distracted. Which was highly probably as he was much above them in experience and age; the only reason he had been taken down was from underestimating the apprentices. Stormpaw highly doubted the tom would make the same mistake again.

"Just do it," Dawnpaw hissed exasperatedly before wheeling sharply to throw herself into the battle.

Stormpaw was irritated. That was how _he_ had been planning to end the argument. How dare she rob him of that chance.

He glanced at the other cats fighting, then at Sinnohroar. The black tom grinned tightly, lips pulled back in a hopeful snarl. Stormpaw considered staying for a moment. And then Stormpaw scoffed and stalked off to engage Mishaclaw as he had planned. Emberpaw was still up in his tree and could flatten Sinnohroar from above if the tom tried to get away. Stormpaw was not in the mood to do guard work, especially when he was ordered to by Dawnpaw.

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><p>At first Rowanpaw had been unsettled about battling the strange cats. Both Flowerpaw and he had been trained mostly to fight in water, and their training sessions on land had been few and far between. But it turned out the WaterClan apprentices had an advantage—all the moves designed to be carried out underwater became doubly fast on land, unhindered by the thick grip of water.<p>

Rowanpaw threw himself at Quiltpelt—specifically, her belly. As he reached her, he twisted and raked his claws in the soft fur belly fur. He gathered his paws under him and pushed against her side at the end of the scratch, sending her backward and giving Rowanpaw the force that would allow him to land on all four paws at the end of the move. And this he did, thudding back onto the ground with a triumphant smile. He had modified the move for land and was very pleased with the speed at which he could perform it.

Quiltpelt was notably less pleased. She lunged at him, claws out, but Rowanpaw ducked. He thought she had misjudged the leap until he found there was a piercing pain on his tail. Rowanpaw performed a short turn, aware that he wouldn't be able to do a full whirl about with someone on his tail; he'd save himself the surprised discomfort.

He met Quiltpelt's eyes. She grinned and then began to reel him in like a fish.

Rowanpaw silently chided himself. _Stupid, stupid._ He didn't know what the tortoiseshell was planning to do, but judging by her gleeful expression, it wouldn't be good. Adults didn't usually like to be outsmarted by apprentices, and understandably so. Rowanpaw tried to get free, digging his claws into the ground and straining his muscles, but found that yes, doing that made his tail hurt a lot, and no, Quiltpelt would not let go.

Where had Flowerpaw gone? In the next instant he found out: a light brown blur barreled into Quiltpelt's side, and the two were gone, in addition to the pain in his tail. Rowanpaw sat up, waving his tail gingerly, and saw the two she-cats tussling three fox-lengths away.

Two against one wasn't fair if the individuals fighting were more or less equal, but Rowanpaw would say that his sister and he combined would almost be on par with Quiltpelt. Plus, his tail was in sore need of vengeance. And so, with a caterwaul that was most unlike him, Rowanpaw joined his littermate and Quiltpelt in the scuffle of fur and limbs.

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><p>A caterwaul rang through the air and, wincing, Dawnpaw recognized it as Rowanpaw. She saw him fling himself into an already tumultuous pile of spitting cats, an eager look upon his face. Huh. The fighting must have been going well for him.<p>

Dawnpaw hoped it would be the same for her.

Eyes narrowed, Dawnpaw turned her attention back to the waiting white-furred cat in front of her.

"Ready now?"

"As ever," Dawnpaw replied.

After Dawnpaw left Sinnohroar in care of Stormpaw, she had run into Mishaclaw. The she-cat had been sitting calmly on the ground, as if she thought this skirmish was something she need not participate in just yet. Dawnpaw leaping at her, though, had changed the stranger's mind. Now they faced each other, hackles raised and ready to bite.

Suddenly a voice called out, "Wait! I want to help!"

It was Dapplepaw. Dawnpaw assumed that the dappled apprentice was going to assist her in fighting Mishaclaw but couldn't have been more displeased if it had been a fat old kittypet wanting to fight on Dawnpaw's team, any newcomers to Mishaclaw's side excluded. (Stormpaw would actually have been help and she would have welcomed that, not that Dawnpaw would ever tell him so.)

But instead of expressing this, Dawnpaw stood still and watched the IceClan apprentice run and stop next to her. Dear StarClan, how many apprentices were out of the trees now? Dawnpaw was, but Sinnohroar had dragged her out of hers. Stormpaw was because he'd thought he should go and offer unwanted help. Rowanpaw and Flowerpaw were down on the ground; she didn't know why. And here was Dapplepaw, uncharacteristically leaping out of her tree to a face-off she wasn't invited to.

Unless Emberpaw hadn't moved, all six apprentices were on the ground, their advantage gone. Dawnpaw snuck a look in his direction. Thank StarClan, the dark brown tom was still standing his ground in the birch he had chosen for his climbing session. But Dawnpaw's relief quickly vanished when she noticed a certain stormy-pelted apprentice leave the presence of Sinnohroar. Her ears flattened and she felt an urge to strangle him, but couldn't do anything about it now.

"Enough! I'm not going to wait for you to admire the view," said Mishaclaw, and charged toward her. Dawnpaw skidded out of the way, anger roaring up in her chest. She'd been distracted and it had been his fault. Okay, partly.

Dawnpaw was still going to use the advantage of height, even if almost no one else did, and she leaped on the white she-cat's back. Mishaclaw had quick reflexes and was already turning toward her when Dawnpaw made contact. Mishaclaw staggered slightly but stayed upright; she was stronger than she looked.

Then the she-cat made a sound like one would make when all your air has been punched suddenly and rather violently out of you—and that's exactly what happened. Dapplepaw had looked at the scene in front of her and decided that the best thing to do was to dive at Mishaclaw, thudding onto her stomach with her front paws and doing her best to trip the other cat up. In fact, Dawnpaw couldn't have done better herself.

Dawnpaw gave a curt nod of acknowledgement to the panting IceClan apprentice, then addressed the cat under her: "Are Scar's cats all this incompetent or are you guys just special? Unless you're saving yourself for the end, you aren't doing a very good job of dragging us back to your leader."

She had hoped to rile the stranger up, and indeed it did. Mishaclaw surged up from the ground, gaze filled with anger and tail lashing. Dawnpaw was knocked onto the ground and landed heavily behind her opponent. She looked up just in time to see Mishaclaw charge at Dapplepaw, who turned and ran—giving Mishaclaw exactly what she wanted. In seconds, the white she-cat caught up to her and closed the distance. She bit onto the back of Dapplepaw's neck and stood up triumphantly.

Dapplepaw swung in Mishaclaw's grasp, eyes wide and full of fear, in the silence that followed.

All right, all right. So this she-cat had the first step done: Since the apprentices wouldn't follow Mishaclaw, she had resorted to dragging instead. But no way was that going to happen if Dawnpaw had anything to say about it. Even if the one who would be dragged was Dapplepaw. Dawnpaw_ had_ kind of provoked Mishaclaw into picking up Dapplepaw.

"Put her down," Dawnpaw growled.

"Who's going to make me?" Mishaclaw laughed. The sound was muffled slightly because of the frightened bundle in her jaws. Although Dapplepaw had reached the age where you weren't carried around anymore and must have put on at least a little bit of muscle in the past two moons, the white she-cat held the spotted apprentice as if she were a leaf.

"I will," said Dawnpaw. She glared at Mishaclaw.

"And I'll help," said a new voice.

Dawnpaw whirled around to see Stormpaw. _No, you can go away._ "You're supposed to be guarding Sinnohroar!" she hissed quietly.

He shrugged.

Mishaclaw said, "Didn't your mother tell you that you shouldn't gang up on a cat?"

Dawnpaw smiled sweetly. "My mother said I could make an exception for dirty piles of crowfood."

And that was the breaking point. Mishaclaw's ears flattened and she took one step toward Dawnpaw, who backed away instantly. But the next item on the vicious she-cat's agenda wasn't to harm Dawnpaw; it was probably the second. The first thing, as it turned out, was that she should throw the whimpering cat in her jaws as far away from her and as hard as she possibly could.

Unfortunately for Dapplepaw, Mishaclaw completed this task perfectly.

The spotted apprentice didn't get up at first and Dawnpaw wondered how much damage Mishaclaw had done. She had just formed the thought when, to Dawnpaw's relief, Dapplepaw staggered up from her landing spot several fox-lengths away. The first thing she did was meet Dawnpaw's eyes. There was no anger in them, simply fear. She was waiting for something.

Dawnpaw stared back and mouthed, "Go," and the other she-cat did so gratefully, stumbling as she went. Dapplepaw was keeping the weight off one leg, and blood was caked on the side Dawnpaw could see.

Dawnpaw had kept her attention on the other apprentice for too long and she paid for this with a sudden jarring pain.

"Silly kit," said Mishaclaw, her voice pleased with her success. She had lunged at Dawnpaw, knocking her down and scoring three red scratches down her flank. Shaking with pain and humiliation, Dawnpaw got back up. In the meantime, Stormpaw attacked Mishaclaw and now Dawnpaw joined him, each blow upon the white she-cat a mark of revenge.

Infuriated, Mishaclaw attempted to fasten her teeth on Dawnpaw's neck. Dawnpaw wasn't sure if it was to kill her or catch hold of her, but she wasn't having any of it. Right before the jaws closed down, Dawnpaw darted out of the way, her ears flattened. She knocked right into Stormpaw, who was charging at Mishaclaw, his eyes infuriated. He stumbled, his expression changing to one of surprise.

"Sorry," she muttered.

He turned to her, still seeming surprised. She stared at him for a second—what was he so stunned by?—before two things interrupted her attention.

First, a gray-and-white blur barreled into Mishaclaw's side, thoroughly and satisfactorily knocking her down.

And second, the blur resolved itself into the shape of Mist, who yowled, "STOP FIGHTING!"

Stormpaw looked both displeased and relieved at the same time; his astonishment seemed to have left him. "Well, look who finally showed up," he muttered.

Dawnpaw couldn't have said it better herself.

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><p><em>1) How was the chapter?<em>

_2) This has to do with my FFN forum, WillowClan. You may have heard of it. It's really fun and you meet lots of new people there! We have a reviewing contest and writing challenges, too. I don't usually advertise my own stuff, but I would like you guys to check it out and join. :) We lost a lot of posts on June 1, 2013, and it would be nice if there were more people to help raise the post count up and talk with. You can't miss us; we're third in the Warrior Forums. _

Review, and bye for now! :D

~Ponyiowa


	32. Chapter 32: An Explanation

**A/N: HOLY HECK. :O 422 reviews? I'm so happy. :D I see I also got some new reviewers! Thank you, everyone! :) Happy Father's Day, everyone! :) This was a fast update, wasn't it? It is summer, after all… **

_Replies to anonymous reviews:_

**Guest: **_Thanks! And I did. ;) Also, could you pick another name for yourself other than Guest?_

**Seedfeather111: **_Whoa, it looks like you enjoyed reading this fic. XD Here's another chapter, then! I hope you like it!_

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><p><span>Chapter 32: An Explanation<span>

Rowanpaw pricked his ears up at Mist's voice. _Finally!_

He'd been aiming to bite Quiltpelt's foreleg when their guide had come back. Now, his jaws closed on empty air. As surprised as his opponent was at Mist's appearance, she'd been less distracted than him by it and took advantage of the momentary loss of attention. She gave him a nasty look, snapped her teeth at him, and then went bounding toward Mist. Flowerpaw, who had been trying to bite Quiltpelt's tail, shut her jaws on nothing and tipped forward. Rowanpaw helped her up and the two of them walked closer to Mist.

The gray-and-white she-cat stood on top of a felled Mishaclaw, who snarled and tried to sink her fangs into the paw nearest to her face. Mist lifted the foot daintily a second before Mishaclaw reached her target—and brought it straight down on Mishaclaw's cheek.

"So I leave for a while, satisfied that everything is in order, and come back to this," Mist said. "Now there is nothing left to do but deal with the result. Young ones, I am impressed with what you have done. You used the attacks you learned to great effect and even conquered some of your opponents. You helped each other out and worked together. I am proud of you.

"As for you"—she stared pointedly at Mishaclaw, Sinnohroar, and Quiltpelt—"I am disgusted at how you attacked cats far younger and less experienced than you, although I must admit that I am not surprised. I assume that you were planning to take them back to Scar's camp._ You_ will not do that. _I _will. And in case you're thinking of attacking them in the future, don't. Your quarrel is with me, not them."

"Very nice speech," Mishaclaw growled in a muffled voice, "but I would prefer to construct an answer when I am on my feet. We are equals."

"Not at all," Mist answered. "Nonetheless, I'll let you up anyway." With a mocking flick of ears, she stepped gracefully off of the white she-cat's flank.

Mishaclaw was on her paws in an instant; in the next, she was at Mist's throat. Rowanpaw blinked and Mishaclaw was suddenly flying through the air, landing in a sprawled position three fox-lengths away from Mist. Rowanpaw watched as the gray-and-white she-cat stalked forward, her posture changing from neutral to angry.

"Remember what I said about us not being equals?" she said, her voice deadly quiet. "We're not, not at all. You would do best to not forget that. In fact, it would serve you quite well to reflect on that fact before attempting to attack me again." She stepped back, allowing the other cat to get up. Mishaclaw did, this time standing still with silent fury.

"We'll take them back no matter what you say," Mishaclaw said. "I think Scar would be most agreeable to hear the news that you've got apprentices from the Clans, and I have faith that Scar would like to see proof, too."

Mist's mismatched eyes gleamed. "You may tell Scar what I've done, yes, but you will not take them. They have been in my possession for eleven sunrises and will continue to be in my possession. And besides"—here her mouth curved up in an uncharacteristic smirk—"I do believe you would hardly be able to get more than two tail-lengths with them. I'm fairly sure they were beating you when I arrived, and when I join in on their side, how could you hope to win?"

Rowanpaw had to stifle a chuckle.

Mishaclaw's dark ears flattened. "Yes, that may be so," she said, "but you know as well as I do how Scar is. Scar _will_ want tangible proof—"

"Show Scar your new wounds," offered Mist brightly. Rowanpaw fought harder to keep his laughter silent.

"—proof that is made up of these apprentices," continued Mishaclaw, acting like she hadn't heard Mist's suggestion, although her tail was now lashing from side to side. "I believe Scar would also like to know why you are far away from our camp without notice of leave."

"No need to worry," said Mist. "I have full permission from Scar to be out here. I didn't feel like notifying the rest of you about it and I see that Scar didn't, either."

"Is that so?" Mishaclaw said softly.

"Indeed it is. And what about you, Mishaclaw? Does Scar know you're out here?"

"Yes, of course," said the white she-cat. "We were sent out to check for recruits and any rebellions."

The two she-cats stood silently then, staring at each other. At last Mishaclaw broke eye contact and dipped her head. Mist smiled and nodded her own head in return.

"Sinnohroar, Quiltpelt, come," commanded Mishaclaw. Their faces to the ground, the black tom and the tortoiseshell she-cat padded toward her. "Scar will be hearing of this—"

"I don't doubt that for a second," said Mist.

Mishaclaw stopped, glared at Mist, then said, "This will not be the last you see of us. I will enjoy having you at Scar's camp." And with a flick of her tail, the three cats left.

"I don't doubt that either," said Mist quietly. She sighed and seemed lost in thought. The apprentices crept closer to Mist, unsure of what would happen next.

After a few minutes had passed, Stormpaw said, "I demand an explanation."

"And you will get one," replied Mist without looking up. Rowanpaw tilted his head in interest. An explanation? Goody!

The silence stretched out for several more long seconds until it was broken by another of Mist's sighs. The gray-and-white she-cat stood up—the apprentices backed away to give her more room, looking at each other with uncertain expressions—and sat back down, winding her tail around her paws.

"Now listen very carefully," she said. "I will not tell it again. This will also most likely be the last thing I tell you about Scar and the mysteries surrounding her. I won't answer any questions, either. Some things are not meant to be divulged, and the less you know, the better— you can't let fall information that you don't have, and Scar can't force things not in your possession out of you. Are you ready? I will begin.

"Once upon a time, Scar was wronged by the Clans—yes, _your_ Clans," Mist added in answer to Emberpaw's questioning look. "Scar wanted to rule over one of them, and they—no, I will not specify who 'they' are—refused to let Scar do so. Scar had created the Clan Scar wanted to preside over. They had also created the Clans they ruled. They'd let Scar follow in their pawsteps, but never imagined that Scar would actually be successful.

"But Scar refused to move. Now that Scar had created a Clan, had done something that the others had, Scar was loath to let it go. However, they wouldn't take no for an answer. Everything was at a standstill until they came in the night and forcibly removed Scar from the new Clans' territory. In doing so, Scar received a jagged, gaping wound down her right side. Mine is on my left, Stormpaw. Angry and betrayed, Scar fled their presence and sought refuge in a Twolegplace far, far away.

"Scar was not discreet about their treachery, and didn't care if no one cared about what had happened, either. Scar announced that they would pay. Word spread, and soon cats showed up—cats who'd been cast out, too. Not strong enough. Not talented enough. Just not good enough. Scar welcomed them in, all of them. Scar turned them to Scar's side—not a hard job—and soon ruled over them, instead of the Clan Scar had wanted to in the first place.

"These cats weren't as angry as Scar. Some had been looking for a place to go from their Twoleg owners; some had simply wanted shelter and comfort in the form of their own species. Some simply thought it was a good idea, the concept of Clans; some just thought it wise to join a large group of cats, for protection and comrades. Their moods had turned more or less dark when they weren't accepted, but it would be over-exaggerating to say that they felt murderous. And then they met Scar.

"Scar turned these cats furious. In Scar's paws, they were puppets—made to feel angry and cheated, they soon joined Scar's ranks. The little place Scar had lived was soon crammed full of spitting, irate cats. They had had no place to go, but now saw a leader in Scar, a powerful force that they could join, and they liked it.

"'Come to me,' Scar told each and every one of them. 'You are welcome here. Come to my side, come join my fight. Why? Because it is yours, too.'

"Scar trained them to fight, using the techniques and battle moves. Some had been stolen from them, and some Scar had made. These cats learned quickly and with great enthusiasm, their resentment fueling them.

"Their fame grew. They didn't have a proper name. Just Scar's cats. Their territory? Not Blood Rock or another special moniker. Just Scar's camp. Nothing besides that was needed to single their group out from the other small, scraggly gangs of cats popping up. They were feared. If you didn't join, you were killed. If you didn't show complete and utter loyalty, you were killed. If you didn't do what Scar wanted, you were killed.

"Now, more experienced and even more bloodthirsty, Scar is almost ready to take back the Clan Scar once had, and the other Clans, too. Almost. She just needs a little more time, a few more cats, and the battle will begin."

Mist let the words fade into the air and ended her story with a long sigh.

Rowanpaw took a breath, let it out, and before he could stop himself, asked a question although he knew he wasn't supposed to: "But how do you know all of this?"

The gray-and-white she-cat turned her head toward him, startled, still lost in the mood of the dark tale she'd told. She blinked, narrowing her eyes, and Rowanpaw saw that she hadn't missed the fact that he'd asked a question even though she'd said not to. But she let it slide, answering the question with a little laugh.

"I should know, shouldn't I?" she said. "For I was there from the very beginning."

* * *

><p>Rowanpaw sat at the edge of their group, watching Mist take care of everything. She had tended to Dapplepaw's leg with a bit of help from Flowerpaw, who had had a bit of training from the WaterClan medicine cat, Redpelt. Dapplepaw also was by the edge of the little gathering, looking shell-shocked. Rowanpaw couldn't blame her. It had been at least a few hours since the fight ended and he himself was still trying to make sense of everything.<p>

Mist's explanation had only served to make things more confusing. He suspected that the reason why she hadn't allowed questions was not only because they couldn't reveal information they didn't know, but also because she didn't want to deal with a bunch of puzzled, curious apprentices' inquiries. A wise move but annoying nonetheless.

Taken aback by Mist's confession, Rowanpaw had opened his mouth to shoot another question, but Mist had shot him a pointed look. Rebuked, he'd nodded his head and slunk off to the shadows, where he now sat. He understood Mist's secrecy, but it didn't make her clandestineness any more irksome. He _wanted _to know more about Scar. He wanted to know how Mist was there, from "the very beginning." Denying him this information was resulting in him lurking at the edge of the group, sullen from the lack of knowledge.

He considered practicing his training moves. Quiltpelt had pointed out with a leer how he didn't turn quite so quickly. It was meant to belittle him; he would use it to improve himself.

It occurred to him that he didn't feel like it so soon after a real battle, so he went off to talk to Flowerpaw instead.

"You did well in fighting," Rowanpaw said, settling beside the light brown she-cat.

She looked up, surprised. "Oh hi, Rowanpaw." Her tail twitched, they drowned in silence, and then she burst out: "But I didn't really _like_ it."

"Well, yeah. It's harsh and it's bloody. I would consider it odd if you did revel in the activity of wounding others."

Flowerpaw shook her head. "I know. This was our first battle, though! And it was nothing like I'd expected. It was only a little one and yet it's changed me."

"How so?" Rowanpaw prodded gently.

"Well, it's very different from training. I appreciate that Pebblestep and Tawnyspot did their best to prepare us, but it was like everything I'd learned rushed out of my head once the _real_ fighting began. The marks are different, too. In battle you get wounds; in training you retract your claws and pull your hits so that your opponent doesn't get hurt. Also, it was a little disconcerting to use our moves on land instead of water."

Rowanpaw nodded as supportively as he could. "It _is_ very different. The underwater training worked to our advantage, though! That upward lunge our mentors taught us was so fast on land. Did you see Quiltpelt's face when I pulled that one on her?"

Flowerpaw smiled slightly. "Yes! And the hook-and-pull?"

Rowanpaw grinned back. "Her expression was hilarious when you did that. I'm surprised you managed that; she seemed pretty heavily muscled to me."

His sister appeared thoroughly cheered up now. "I was startled myself!" After a pause, she said, "I guess everything turned out all right in the end. Mist came to end it, and I learned some things from fighting Scar's cats. Thanks for talking with me." Flowerpaw leaned into him, purring. "You're a good brother, Rowanpaw."

He purred in return. "I'm the only brother you have! Not much of a compliment, but I'll take it."

"Fishing for compliments, are we?" she teased.

"Nope, just pointing that out. Although I must admit, I wouldn't mind if you told me what an awesome hunter I am." They were silent for a few moments.

"I think I'll go to sleep," Flowerpaw announced, pulling away and standing up.

Rowanpaw cast a glance toward the sky and saw that it was turning dark. Emberpaw had already curled up at the foot of the birch he'd climbed. Mist had disappeared. Rowanpaw yawned, feeling the day's events weigh down on him. "I think I will, too. Choose our sleeping spot, dear sister?"

"How about that prickly bush over there?"

Rowanpaw blinked, tiredly startled. "What? No! That would be way too uncomfortable—" He broke off when he realized Flowerpaw had been kidding.

"Yep, you're definitely tired." Flowerpaw gave a small _mrrow _of amusement. "Is that spot next to the oak okay? It looks pretty comfortable."

"Sure," Rowanpaw agreed without looking. His head down, he followed the light brown she-cat to the chosen place. It turned out to be quite nice. He fell asleep next to Flowerpaw on a bed of long grass and flowers, the sun slowly sinking past the horizon.

* * *

><p><em>1) What would you like to see happen next? <em>

_2) Your thoughts on Mist's story? :O_

_3) This has to do with my FFN forum, WillowClan. You may have heard of it. It's really fun and you meet new people there! We have a reviewing contest and writing challenges, too. I don't usually advertise my own stuff, but I would like you guys to check it out and join. :) We lost a lot of posts on June 1, 2013, and it would be nice if there were more people to raise the post count up and talk with. If you would like to check us out; we're third in the Warrior Forums, and there's a link to it on my profile. _

Review? ;)

~Ponyiowa


	33. Chapter 33: Mist Is A Sadist

**A/N: Interesting. A lot of old reviewers reviewed this time. :D I enjoyed reading your reviews! I see that you guys want the relationship sped up, huh? Well, all right… *sly smile* I'm not sure if you'd like what I have in mind for the end… And remember, this won't be the only fic with Dawnpaw and Stormpaw in it. ;) **

**Special thanks to V. Thomas, who came back and promptly read and reviewed the entire story, including pointing out the typos. Thanks so much for the help, darling. :3 **

**June 19, 2011 was the day I joined FFN. Now I've been on it for over two years! 8DDD And EBN is nearing the two-year mark, too. Hopefully I'll finish it before that comes. :) **

**Happy late Fourth of July!**

_Replies to anonymous reviews:_

**Lenaroony: **_Aww, thanks! :D I'm glad, too. Although this wasn't the fastest of updates. ^^; Thanks for the review~_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 33: Mist is a Sadist<span>

"Idiot!"

"No more than you, Stormpaw," Dawnpaw said, rolling away to avoid his leap. He growled in frustration. It was the day after the encounter with Scar's cats and Mist had paired the apprentices up for them to try using their moves on each other. Some kind of practice session that allowed Mist to sit back and simply watch. And as it happened, Stormpaw and Dawnpaw were put together.

_ Mist has got to be some kind of sadist,_ Dawnpaw thought. _She knew what was going to happen if she paired us._

Stormpaw resorted to simple brute force, whamming his weight into Dawnpaw's side; Dawnpaw grunted as she resisted. He was winning slightly—not for long, if Dawnpaw had her way—in his attempt to drive Dawnpaw down. She huffed and fought back, digging her claws into the earth. Their paws churned in the dirt as the two apprentices each fought for purchase on the ground, chests heaving. It reminded Dawnpaw slightly of when they'd started bumping each other next to the river. At least there was no large body of water for them to fall into now.

Dawnpaw strained her muscles in an attempt to overpower him, but it was just a show now. Hopefully her plan would work. And then her brain took the moment to realize just how close they were. Fur pressing on fur, muscles striving against each other, breath mixing in the air. She stumbled for a moment.

_Idiot!_

Stormpaw shoved as hard as he could a second before Dawnpaw put her plan into action. _Now!_ She shot forward just as he came down. Without the expected resistance, the dark gray tom came tumbling onto the ground. Dawnpaw made a sharp turn and leapt onto him. He hissed angrily, trying to get up, but Dawnpaw leaned down and pricked his throat with her claws. Stormpaw stilled instantly.

"Good job, Dawnpaw!" came Mist's voice. "You're the first pair to finish; take a moment to rest while the others complete their bouts."

Dawnpaw stepped off Stormpaw, giving him a smug smile when he got up and met her triumphant gaze. "Not so great after all, are you?"

"I have to admit I was surprised about the outcome," he admitted. "However, expect it to be your last victory."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise." Stormpaw sat and began washing himself. "And don't be disappointed if you don't get to be close to me every time we fight." He looked up and smirked.

Dawnpaw lashed her tail. "We both know you're just sore over your loss," she growled. _That irritating little…_

Stormpaw flicked his ears. "Sure." Then he started grooming his paws and the conversation was over.

Dawnpaw made an angry noise, just to know that he hadn't won that argument, and turned her back on him to see how the other apprentices were doing. Flowerpaw and Emberpaw were locked in a tussle, sending up dust wherever they went. Since they both had brown fur, Dawnpaw was finding it hard to tell them apart. She watched them roll into the path of Dapplepaw and Rowanpaw and laughed when the IceClan she-cat jumped back, her ears pinned back in fear. Rowanpaw made some smart comment and Dapplepaw responded angrily, her ears now flattened in ire.

The ginger-and-white tom sat down and calmly began to lick his pelt, causing Dapplepaw to start shouting. Dawnpaw could hear snatches of it:

"—what do you think you're doing—"

"—this isn't the time to be grooming yourself—"

"—you have _got _to be kidding me—"

And just as the spotted brown she-cat said, "We're_ supposed_ to be fighting, fishbrain," Rowanpaw surged forward and knocked Dapplepaw off her feet. She went over in a flurry of fur and yowling. Dawnpaw was still snickering by the time Mist noticed and congratulated Rowanpaw on his victory.

Dawnpaw focused her attention on the last pair. The two apprentices were still a mass of brown tumbling all over the place but soon sprang apart when they noticed they were careening straight toward a tree. Flowerpaw was on her paws faster and quickly had her claws on Emberpaw's throat before the tom could get up.

"And Flowerpaw wins! Nice, very nice," Mist said, padding over to Emberpaw and Flowerpaw. The FireClan tom congratulated Flowerpaw good-naturedly and she purred in return, ducking her head modestly.

Mist turned to look at them all. Dawnpaw tried to look as attentive as possible.

"I am very pleased with your performance," she said to the apprentices. "You have all improved greatly since you left the Clans, which says a lot since this is only the eleventh day you've been with me." Dawnpaw gave a surprised start. Had it really only been that long?

"Dapplepaw, good work," Mist continued. "I hope you'll forgive me for making you battle even with that leg—even a little pain on your side gives your opponent an advantage, as I'm sure you now know. However, in Scar's camp, they would have made you fight even if you had a broken leg instead of the merely sore one you have." The spotted apprentice dipped her head in thanks. "Now, I was thinking we could either have the winners of the matches face off against each other or we could have some demonstrations with a little twist. What do you guys say?"

"The second option," Dawnpaw called out.

"The first," Stormpaw said as soon as her sentence ended. Dawnpaw glared at him.

The rest of the apprentices wanted to do the demonstrations, bar Rowanpaw.

"The demonstrations it is," Mist announced. With a small smile she said, "Could Stormpaw and Dawnpaw please come up?"

Dawnpaw froze. Was Mist serious? Dawnpaw should have picked the first option after all—she wouldn't have to interact with him in that case since he hadn't been a winner.

"Take as long as you want," Mist added, and Dawnpaw sprang up, ears burning, to the laughs of Dapplepaw. She shot a look that could kill at the IceClan cat, who twitched her tail in reply.

Of course Stormpaw was already there, not surprised by this new event at all. He gave her a smirk as she came to a stop two tail-lengths away and faced him. Mist was to Dawnpaw's right, off to the side. She was in between Stormpaw and Dawnpaw; the other apprentices were on Dawnpaw's left.

"Ready for another defeat?" Dawnpaw whispered to the dark gray apprentice. His ice-blue eyes, previously filled with amusement, narrowed.

"I'm prepared for a victory, actually."

"Get ready to be disappointed."

Stormpaw was about to answer when Mist broke in. Dawnpaw didn't know if the scarred cat had heard them; they'd been pretty quiet in their taunting and Mist's body language gave away nothing.

"This won't be a normal fight," Mist began. "As I said to Dapplepaw, being injured or impaired won't stop Scar's cats from taking you on. In fact, they'll probably be more ruthless as they know you've got a weakness."

_This couldn't be good_, Dawnpaw thought.

She was right.

"Dawnpaw, you'll have to battle your opponent without the use of your tail," Mist said.

Dawnpaw tilted her head for a second, confused, then brought her tail upward and curled it against her back as flat as she could. "Like this?"

"Excellent," Mist said, nodding in approval. "Stormpaw, you're going to be blind."

He blinked. "I won't be able to see?"

"Yes. Who knows? Maybe one of Scar's cats clawed your eyes the day before a major battle and you'll still have to go. Anything could happen. Close your eyes."

Stormpaw hesitated before obeying. His ears pinned back in dislike and he took a step forward, moving uncertainly.

"And now you may begin," Mist said, sounding way too pleased for Dawnpaw's liking. "Dawnpaw, keep your tail exactly where it is now, and Stormpaw, keep your eyes closed no matter what happens. Good luck!" With that, she retreated to a distance where she could referee easily but not get caught in the fighting.

Dawnpaw jumped forward—and landed in an awkward manner. She stumbled, her tail flying out before she regained control and plastered it to her back again. She'd thought Mist had given her the easier disability, but now she saw that it was more debilitating than she'd expected.

Stormpaw, of course, hadn't seen any of this, but he felt the air rushing toward him from Dawnpaw's leap and lashed out in the direction it came from. Dawnpaw recovered from her shaky touchdown in time to block it. A second later she ducked to avoid a second lash. The dark gray tom made one more attempt to scratch her and then stood stock-still. His ears twitched and his tail, which he was still able to move, waved as he tried to figure out where she was. Dawnpaw padded as quietly as she could to behind him, adjusting her steps for the loss of her tail.

"Hey, ugly! Guess what?" Stormpaw suddenly said.

Dawnpaw snapped, "_What_?" and was promptly knocked flat when the dark gray tom whirled around, eyes still closed, and lunged at her. She squirmed, kicked him in the belly, and rolled away, her tail tucked firmly to her. She stood up, pelt suddenly warm with embarrassment. He'd used the oldest trick in the book and she'd fallen for it.

Stormpaw fell back on blindly lashing out when he tried the trick again and she didn't answer. Some of his strokes actually came close. Then she noticed that he had his claws out.

"Mist!" Dawnpaw yelled, scrambling backward as Stormpaw followed the sound of her voice. "Stormpaw didn't sheathe his claws!"

"Although you usually practice with retracted claws, you won't now!" Mist answered. "We're pretending this is a real fight!"

Yep, definitely a sadist.

Dawnpaw growled once and sprung at Stormpaw again. She smacked right into the tom, who had jumped at her himself upon hearing her growl. They went tumbling to the ground, Dawnpaw on top. She dug her claws into his fur and off they went, wrestling in the same way she'd seen Flowerpaw and Emberpaw do just recently.

Dawnpaw decided it was time for some insults. She didn't have to worry about him listening for her voice anymore and she thought Mist wouldn't stop her. Who said skirmishes didn't have invectives?

"Badgerbutt," she said.

"Mousebrain," he responded just as quickly.

"Stupid."

"Tailless idiot!"

"Blind old elder!" Dawnpaw retorted, trying to hold him on the ground. He wriggled out like a fish and swung a paw at her, catching her on her shoulder. His claws and the weight of the blow caused pain to explode there; she staggered. She gave him a nasty scratch on his belly in retaliation and sprang back immediately. She might have lost her balance, but he couldn't see. So she did have the better end of the deal, after all.

"I'll get you for that!"

"Still waiting," Dawnpaw replied. She watched, amused, as he tried to find her—she was behind him. In fact, she was so amused that she was completely caught off guard when Stormpaw whirled around, tripped over his own paws, and fell right on her.

Dawnpaw had involuntarily closed her eyes right before the impact. Now she opened them and looked right into an ice-blue gaze. She froze for a few seconds before she got her voice back and said sharply, "You opened your eyes!" Before he had a chance to respond she flipped to her paws and sprang up in time to block the claws headed for her face.

"Cheater," she hissed even though his eyes were firmly shut by this time.

"Sorry, I was surprised."

"By your own clumsiness?"

Stormpaw lashed his tail. "By the fact that you've even lasted this long."

"Yeah, well, the fact that you're a blind old elder kinda helps—"

Mist coughed.

Instantly the two apprentices spun to face her. Dawnpaw had forgotten she was even there! How long had they been fighting?

"Very well done," she told them. "I am proud of the way you adjusted to having no sight or no tail. I think you could have fought all day, but it's about time to eat and you've both shown me enough. Shall we call it a tie?"

Dawnpaw looked uncertainly at Stormpaw, who still had his eyes closed. Her tail had been starting to curl back down but she put it back up when she saw he had his eyes still shut.

"Oh, yes." Mist purred. "You can both go back to normal."

Immediately Stormpaw's eyes flew open. He looked murderous. Dawnpaw uncurled her tail and took a few steps, glad to have her balance back.

"What about it, Stormpaw? How about a tie?"

He glared at her. She remembered how he'd had to settle for a tie with Flowerpaw just yesterday; he seemed to be even more disgruntled about not winning now. "Fine," he said at last.

"Don't forget what you learned today, apprentices!" Mist stood up and addressed all the apprentices. "It's pretty important, I can assure you. And now it's time to eat! Don't forget to hunt with your assigned partner," she said. Dawnpaw winced and stopped sneaking toward Flowerpaw.

"Well, that's that," Stormpaw said shortly, stalking past her. Dawnpaw hurried after him, her mood growing irritated with each step. It happened that she was very hungry. Training tended to do that. If only she didn't have to do it with a certain tom. She'd had enough of him that sunrise to last her for a whole lifetime.

"You know, I think _you_ would be the one disappointed if you didn't get to be close to me every time we fight," she said, referring to his earlier statement.

"What?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten your clumsy fall already."

"I was trying to forget it. It seems that you've committed it to memory. Perhaps you liked it?" he said smoothly, padding into the verdant spinney of trees. His body was relaxed and visage casual, but his twitching whiskers betrayed his amusement.

_THE NERVE OF HIM._ "As much as I'd like a badger to eat you," she responded angrily, lashing her tail.

Stormpaw lunged forward suddenly and pounced on a vole. He slit the little creature's throat and watched the blood spill onto the forest floor, dappling the earth.

"Don't count on it."

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was spent in activities.<p>

_Horrendous _activities.

For, you see, they were partner activities.

And yep, Dawnpaw and Stormpaw were partners.

Dawnpaw glared at Mist's back.

The scarred she-cat had continued to be consistent—Dawnpaw would give her that. The rest would be a complaint about Mist's choice of partners for Dawnpaw, if she actually got up the nerve to say that. Guide or not, she was scary and Dawnpaw still wasn't sure if she wanted to make her mad. Maybe Mist did have a reason to keep on doing that.

But if it was to make them become friends, she was definitely in for a disappointment.

The next activity was to get to the tree—with legs tied together. Dawnpaw was not anticipating that at all. Perhaps she could accidentally break the ties…over and over again?

Mist led the apprentices to the designated spot, a small clearing with lots of grass but only one tree in it. Dawnpaw and Stormpaw were at the very left, Emberpaw and Flowerpaw in the middle, and Rowanpaw and Dapplepaw at the far right. Pair by pair, Mist tied the apprentices' inside legs together with the long pieces of grass. Dawnpaw attempted to worm her way out of them but found that she could not. And Mist didn't even have those long weird toes at the end of their front paws that Twolegs had!

However Mist had managed to bind them together so tightly, Dawnpaw wasn't sure. She was sure, though, that it was constricting her blood flow. She tried one more time in vain and found Stormpaw smirking at her. She stuck out her tongue.

"All right, apprentices, listen up!" Mist cried. "The objective is to get to that tree first. Whichever pair wins gets to eat two pieces of prey per cat tomorrow!"

Dawnpaw pricked up her ears. That sounded good!

"Ready…set…go!" Mist shouted.

Dawnpaw lurched forward and Stormpaw abruptly fell into her. Too late, she realized that she should have been discussing strategy with him instead of trying to break the grass and give Stormpaw pointed looks. Rowanpaw and Dapplepaw were already well on their way.

"Okay," she hissed when they struggled back up. "First step with our front paws. Then our back ones. We will look like bunny rabbits, but if you don't want to get that prey, I'm fine with it."

"Don't worry," Stormpaw said under his breath. "I will be a bunny rabbit."

She snickered, then said, "All right. One...two…three…"

And off they strode, looking like bunny rabbits.

It was difficult at first, but they soon fell into a strange but working rhythm. Dawnpaw kept her mind off all thoughts of how close she was forced to be with_ him_ and only stumbled once. They caught up quickly with Emberpaw and Flowerpaw, but Rowanpaw and Dapplepaw were in the lead and seemed like they would remain so. They were moving the "three legs" one after another.

She would ask Stormpaw to switch to that method, but their current one worked well enough and she didn't want to interrupt their rhythm. She did choose to ask if they could go faster. Commanded, really.

He nodded stiffly and abruptly increased his pace. Dawnpaw lurched forward with a gasp.

"Hey!"

"I apologize," he said drily. "Now are you ready?"

"Yes," she growled. "One…two…three…."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he jolted ahead. Dawnpaw would have kicked him if she was able.

They marched forward methodically, lifting the front legs up, then the back legs. Dawnpaw got used to the thud of paws on earth and slight jar when they moved forward. Now they were almost nose-to-nose with Rowanpaw and Dapplepaw.

"We're going to beat you," Dawnpaw heard Stormpaw say to the ginger-and-white tom.

She was surprised to hear him respond cheerfully, "If you think so!" Part sarcasm, part genuine merriment. It would be all right to lose to him, but not Dapplepaw.

Stormpaw and Dawnpaw made their way toward a large clump of grass. Dawnpaw eyed the strands with dislike. She hated the tickly feeling the grass created. However, they passed through the clump without difficulty, a small triumph but a triumph nonetheless.

_Stupid grass,_ Dawnpaw thought with satisfaction, remembering when a particular piece of grass had brushed her throat and caused her to lose the mouse she was stalking.

A few more steps….

But right before they reached the tree, Dapplepaw and Rowanpaw roared by. Dawnpaw instantly stopped, her jaw dropping in surprise—which didn't help, either. Stormpaw jerked forward, having not gotten the memo about stopping, tripped, and fell on his face, bringing Dawnpaw down with him.

_Oops._

"We can still try for second place," Dawnpaw said to the fuming tom.

"I suppose." And pulling themselves up, they made their unsteady way toward the tree. Only a few moments afterward, Flowerpaw and Emberpaw arrived.

Mist allowed the apprentices a lull to rest and give congratulations, then said, "Fantastic job, everyone! I hope you learned, as was the point of this lesson, that you have to work together to achieve your goal, even if it's with someone you don't particularly like." Was it Dawnpaw's imagination, or was Mist looking at her when she said that? She grunted and sat on her haunches, pulling Stormpaw down with her. He gave her a nasty glare.

"Congratulations, Dapplepaw and Rowanpaw!" the scarred she-cat said. "Victory _tastes _good, doesn't? Or will. That's all we have to do today. Tomorrow will be spent traveling. You are free to do whatever you like until it's time to go to sleep."

_Finally. Thank you, StarClan._

Mist finished her speech and started untying the apprentices. First to be let loose were the winners, who dipped their heads to each other politely before moving away. Next were Emberpaw and Flowerpaw. Dawnpaw waited impatiently to be freed.

But when Mist reached them, she simply said, "I apologize for the inconvenience, but you two are to remain tied together."

"_What_?" Dawnpaw sputtered, her fur bristling.

"Only until it's time to go to sleep," Mist added brightly, like that was some great comfort.

"But the other apprentices were untied," Stormpaw started, his tone confused yet respectful.

Mist twitched her whiskers. "Well, _their_ 'Partner Day' is over. I just thought you could use a little more time together."

"But—" Dawnpaw said.

"No 'buts'!" Mist said. Her voice dripped with enthusiasm. "You guys need this. Don't forget to remind me at the end to untie you, though. I'm afraid you won't be able to get loose without me." With that, she walked away.

Dawnpaw immediately turned to Stormpaw, almost slamming her face into his; he'd had the same idea. "I will do whatever it takes to make her think we're getting along," Dawnpaw hissed under her breath. "That doesn't mean we're really friends, though."

Stormpaw smirked, his ice-blue eyes flashing. "Agreed."

* * *

><p>Almost there… Dawnpaw sat gazing longingly at the setting sun. A full hour had passed since Mist had sentenced them. She had gotten through it with pretending Stormpaw wasn't there; evidently he had too since he hadn't said a single word to her since agreeing to pretend that they were getting along.<p>

Flowerpaw had been by her side most of the time but now was talking to her brother. The WaterClan she-cat had been horrified—and a little amused—to find Dawnpaw's predicament. She'd suggested dragging Stormpaw everywhere just to irritate him before learning that the plan was to make Mist think that they were getting along. The light brown cat had joined her in ignoring Stormpaw and the two chatted together quite amiably, Dawnpaw almost forgetting about the irksome piece of cat stuck to her side.

Dapplepaw had gone to rest her leg and Rowanpaw and Emberpaw were talking to each other before Flowerpaw joined them. It was better than Dawnpaw had thought it would be. And now, as she saw the sun sinking beyond the horizon, it would be much, much better.

"Yes!" she meowed, jumping to her paws and jerking the dark gray tom up with her. "The sun's set! Time to go to sleep! Now, where's Mist?"

She cast a glance around the clearing. The scarred cat had decided the clearing with the tree would be the place where they slept for the night. She would be sure to find a place in the branches of the tree once they were separate. Was Mist in the tree? Nope. Somewhere in the grass? No. Emerging from the circle of foliage around the clearing? Unfortunately, no.

"She's not here," Dawnpaw reported in disappointment. "No doubt she'll appear soon."

Stormpaw made a small sound of acknowledgement.

The two apprentices waited for fifteen more minutes. Mist still hadn't come. She'd probably disappeared to wherever she usually did at night, but this time Dawnpaw wasn't fine with it. She couldn't leave them! It wasn't fair! How could they remind Mist to untie them if she wasn't even there? Dawnpaw tried to find her scent, but it was everywhere and she couldn't find a clear trail.

Dawnpaw looked once more around the clearing in sheer desperation. Once again her eyes told her what her brain already knew: Mist was gone.

She and Stormpaw turned to face each other at the same time. She saw that Stormpaw's eyes were wide and he looked uneasy, which wasn't good.

"I think…," Dawnpaw began.

"…that Mist isn't here," Stormpaw finished.

_Wonderful._

* * *

><p>What do you think is going to happen next? ;) I'm so evil, aren't I? I have to admit, I definitely had fun writing this chapter. It was long, which was why it took a while to update. Sorry!<p>

_Come to WillowClan! It's really fun and you meet lots of new people there! We have games and writing challenges. I don't usually advertise my own stuff, but I would like you guys to check it out and join. :) The link to it is on my profile. _

Review! I'm going to have fun reading your responses. *devious grin*

~Ponyiowa


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